Appendix O: 

Land Use

Discipline Report

Point Defiance Bypass 

Project

Land Use

Discipline Report

September 2012

Title VI

WSDOT ensures full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 

1964 by prohibiting discrimination against any person on the basis of race, 

color, national origin or sex in the provision of benefits and services 

resulting from its federally assisted programs and activities. For questions 

regarding WSDOT’s Title VI Program, you may contact the Department’s 

Title VI Coordinator at (360) 705-7098.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information

If you would like copies of this document in an alternative format – large 

print, Braille, cassette tape, or on computer disk, please call (360) 705-

7097. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call the 

Washington State Telecommunications Relay Service, or Tele-Braille at 7-

1-1, Voice 1-800-833-6384, and ask to be connected to (360) 705-7097.

For more information you can: 

• Call the WSDOT Rail Office at (360) 705-7900

• Write to the WSDOT Rail Office at WSDOT Rail Office, P.O. Box 47407 Olympia, 

WA 98504-7407

• Fax your comments to (360) 705-6821

• E-mail your comments to rail@wsdot.wa.gov

Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page i

Table of Contents

Summary........................................................................................................................................... 1

What are the effects to land use by the station relocation component of the Project? ................. 1

What are the effects to land use by the Bypass Route component of the Project? ...................... 2

What minimization measures are proposed? ............................................................................... 3

Chapter 1 – Project Description ........................................................................................................ 1

Introduction................................................................................................................................... 1

Purpose and Need ....................................................................................................................... 1

What alternatives are being considered for the Point Defiance Bypass Project? ......................... 2

What’s happening in the bypass corridor today?.......................................................................... 2

What would happen if the Project were not built?......................................................................... 3

What are the proposed improvements and related activities of the Point Defiance Bypass 

Project? ........................................................................................................................................ 3

What are the proposed operational changes that would result from the Point Defiance Bypass 

Project? ........................................................................................................................................ 4

Chapter 2 – Methodology.................................................................................................................. 7

Why should land use be reviewed?.............................................................................................. 7

What key regulations apply to land use planning and consistency analyses?.............................. 8

How was the study area defined for this report? ........................................................................ 12

How was the study area defined for the existing route, the No Build Alternative?...................... 12

What Information was researched?............................................................................................ 14

How does this report relate to previous environmental studies completed for the Project?........ 15

What coordination was used in the land use analysis? .............................................................. 16

Chapter 3 – Affected Environment .................................................................................................. 17

What are the general existing land use characteristics of the study area for the Project?.......... 17

What are the existing land uses within the incorporated areas of Tacoma and Lakewood? ...... 29

What are the existing land uses within the unincorporated areas of Pierce County? ................. 32

What are the general land use characteristics of the military reservations located within the 

study area?................................................................................................................................. 33

What adjacent existing land uses may affect the Project? ......................................................... 34

What resource lands were identified within the study area?....................................................... 34

What shorelines and critical areas were identified within the study area?.................................. 34

What are the general development trends in the study area? .................................................... 38

Chapter 4 – Consistency Analysis with Land Use Policies, Plans and Regulations........................ 43

What are the planned use and zoning policies and regulations adopted by the City of Tacoma 

that apply to the Project?............................................................................................................ 43

Is the Project consistent with the policies and regulations adopted by the City of Tacoma?...... 56

What are the planned use and zoning policies and regulations adopted by the City of Lakewood 

that apply to the Project?............................................................................................................ 56

Is the Project consistent with the policies and regulations adopted by the City of Lakewood?... 57

What are the planned use and zoning policies and regulations adopted by Pierce County that 

apply to the Project?................................................................................................................... 58

Is the Project consistent with the policies and regulations adopted by Pierce County?.............. 59
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Is the Project compatible with the area military reservation plans? ............................................ 60

What are the planned use and zoning designations, and is the Project consistent with the 

policies and regulations adopted by the City of DuPont? ........................................................... 61

Is the Project consistent with state or regional transportation plans?......................................... 62

Chapter 5 – Potential Project Effects .............................................................................................. 63

What are the Federal Railroad Administration requirements for identifying effects? .................. 63

What is a project effect?............................................................................................................. 63

What are the land use related effects identified for the Project in other discipline reports?........ 64

What are the construction effects to land use by the Project?.................................................... 65

What are the operational effects to land use by the station relocation component of the Project?

................................................................................................................................................... 65

What are the operational effects to land use by the bypass route component of the Project? ... 65

What are the indirect and cumulative effects to land use by the Bypass Route component of the 

Project? ...................................................................................................................................... 69

Chapter 6 – Recommended Minimization Measures....................................................................... 75

References...................................................................................................................................... 77

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1. Build Alternative Components ........................................................................................... 5

Exhibit 2. Study Area....................................................................................................................... 13

Exhibit 3. (Panels 1-10) Existing Land Uses ................................................................................... 19

Exhibit 4. Existing Land Uses –Incorporated Areas ........................................................................ 29

Exhibit 5. Existing Land Uses within incorporated areas................................................................. 30

Exhibit 6. Streams within the Study Area ........................................................................................ 37

Exhibit 7. City of Tacoma – Applicable Planned Use and Zoning Designations.............................. 43

Exhibit 8. (Panels 1-10) Zoning Designations ................................................................................. 44

Exhibit 9. Tacoma Amtrak Station Relocation – Existing Land Use and Zoning ............................. 55

Exhibit 10. City of Lakewood –Applicable Planned Use and Zoning Designations ......................... 57

Exhibit 11. Pierce County – Applicable Planned Use and Zoning Designations ............................. 58

Exhibit 12: Recent Development Proposals in Project Area ........................................................... 71

Exhibit 13: Transportation Related Projects – Current and Reasonably Foreseeable..................... 72
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Land Use Discipline Report Page 1

Summary

The Point Defiance Bypass Project (the Project) would improve safety and 

reliability, and enhance rail service frequency and efficiency for Amtrak 

Cascades passenger rail service along the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor. 

The Project is located in Pierce County, Washington within an existing 21-

mile railroad corridor.

This discipline report has been prepared in support of the Point Defiance 

Bypass Project Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the State Environmental 

Policy Act (SEPA), and the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) 

Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts.

The 20-mile-long study area can be generally described as an existing 

railroad corridor that generally parallels and is west of the

I-5 transportation corridor and is located within both incorporated and 

unincorporated areas. Approximately two-thirds of the Project length is 

located within or adjacent to the incorporated cities of Tacoma, 

Lakewood, and DuPont. The remainder lies within unincorporated area of 

Pierce County, the majority of which is occupied by US Joint Base Lewis 

McChord (JBLM) and Camp Murray National Guard military complexes. 

What are the effects to land use by the station relocation 

component of the Project?

Based on the analysis completed for this report, effects to existing and 

planned land uses would result from the Tacoma Amtrak Station 

relocation component of the Project by enhancing the accessibility to and 

between the modes of transportation in the downtown Tacoma area. The 

relocation to the Tacoma Dome Station at Freighthouse Square is 

consistent with adopted plans specific to the revitalization and 

redevelopment of the Tacoma Dome neighborhood and enhancing the 

pedestrian connection between rail services, with the goal to create 

economic opportunities at local, statewide and multi-state levels by the 

increased reliability and frequency of alternative modes of transportation.1

 1 Tacoma 2001
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What are the effects to land use by the Bypass Route 

component of the Project?

Implementation of the Project would re-route high speed rail traffic away 

from the Puget Sound shoreline to an existing interior route used by 

freight and commuter trains, and would upgrade and improve the existing 

railroad crossings and infrastructure. 

Generally, new rail facilities like a station can have positive effects like 

increased land values and development density, and redistribution of 

development to areas near the station. The re-development around the 

Lakewood Sound Transit Station is an example.

Incompatibility with adjacent land uses

Implementation of the Project would affect adjacent land uses by the high 

speed and more frequent trains traveling through the communities. 

However, the train passbys would occur in only short durations at any 

given point along the corridor (approximately 12 minutes per day in total). 

An estimated 25-30 percent of the adjacent lands within the urbandeveloped portion of the study area are identified for redevelopment 

potential regardless if the Project is implemented. Future development in 

these areas would have considered the proximity to an existing freight 

corridor.

Noise, vibration, transportation, public services, visual and socioeconomic 

effects have been identified in other discipline reports which may 

indirectly or directly affect adjacent land uses which range from 

residential to industrial. The potential effects identified were minimal to 

moderate. 

Inconsistency with adjacent land use plans and zoning regulations

The Project is consistent with adopted plans and would implement adopted 

policies reviewed for this report. No policy or zoning regulation was found 

that the Project would violate or require regulatory or development 

standard amendments to be adopted in order to implement the Project.

Continued growth, development, and re-development in the study area 

would occur as forecasted and planned for in land use and transportation 

plans. Limited redevelopment may occur near the relocated Tacoma 

Amtrak Station, which would occur in accordance with governing land use 

plans and zoning regulations. 
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Land Use Discipline Report Page 3

Displacement of a substantial number of housing units or 

commercial uses

Property acquisition for additional parking west or north of Freighthouse 

Square is anticipated as a part of the Project. The current use of the 

properties proposed for acquisition is parking. Therefore, this acquisition 

would not displace housing or commercial units. The Project would not 

displace any additional existing land uses or acquire additional property. 

Therefore, no effect to residential or commercial uses would result. 

Extensive community disruption that affects adjacent land uses

Implementation of the Project would affect adjacent and planned land uses 

by the high speed and more frequent trains traveling through the 

communities. However, the estimated daily 12 minute total delay of traffic 

at crossings is not significant. In addition, many of the crossings would be 

upgraded and local connectivity ultimately improved over existing 

conditions.

What minimization measures are proposed?

To protect against unanticipated impacts and to further reduce the 

incidence of minor effects, minimization measures may be implemented

for effects to air quality, noise and vibration, transportation, and public 

services and utilities. No land use-specific minimization measures are 

proposed.

Continued transportation and land use planning coordination with local 

jurisdictions, neighboring communities, and military and regional 

planning efforts is recommended to further enhance the level of services 

and quality of life, and overall, plan for continued economic and 

population growth in the Puget Sound.

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Land Use Discipline Report Page 1

Chapter 1 – Project Description

Introduction

Under the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Program and 

pursuant to a programmatic Tier I Environmental Assessment (EA) the 

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has approved an application from 

the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to improve 

the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor (PNWRC), a federally designated 

high-speed rail corridor. One project included in the PNWRC application 

is the Point Defiance Bypass Project (the Project), which would respond to 

deficiencies in the existing rail operations around Point Defiance. This 

Discipline Report has been prepared in support of the project-specific EA 

for the Point Defiance Bypass project.

The Project is located in Pierce County along an existing approximately 

20-mile rail corridor between Tacoma and Nisqually.2 The Project would 

provide for the re-routing of Amtrak passenger trains from the BNSF rail 

line that runs along the southern Puget Sound shoreline (Puget Sound 

route) to the Point Defiance Bypass route, an existing rail corridor that 

runs along the west side of I-5. The Project would consist of railroad track 

and support facility improvements, and relocation of the Tacoma Amtrak 

Station to Freighthouse Square in Tacoma.

Purpose and Need

As described above, the Point Defiance Bypass route is part of the larger 

PNWRC. Within Washington State, the vision for the PNWRC is to 

“...improve intercity passenger rail service by reducing travel times and 

achieving greater schedule reliability in order to accommodate growing 

intercity travel demand...”3.

The purpose of the Project is to provide more frequent and reliable highspeed intercity passenger rail service along the PNWRC between Tacoma 

and Nisqually. In conformity with the decisions under the Tier 1 

Programmatic EA, the PNWRC Improvement Program has reduced the 

overall environmental effects of providing improved passenger rail service 

with the use of an existing transportation corridor and associated 

infrastructure, rather than creating a new corridor. 

 2 The three owners of the project corridor are Sound Transit, Tacoma Rail, and BNSF. 3 WSDOT 2009
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 2 Land Use Discipline Report

The Project is needed to address the deficiencies in the existing rail 

alignment around Point Defiance. The existing alignment (Puget Sound 

route), shared by freight and passenger rail traffic, is near capacity and is 

therefore unable to accommodate additional high-speed intercity 

passenger rail service without substantial improvements. In addition, the 

existing alignment has physical and operational constraints that adversely 

affect both passenger train scheduling and reliability.

Improving intercity passenger rail service in the project area and meeting 

the Project needs would be accomplished by:

• Enhanced Frequency: Increasing Amtrak Cascades round-trips from four 

to six by 2017 to meet projected service demands.

• Improved Reliability: Reducing scheduling conflicts with freight trains 

that often result in delays, and by minimizing or avoiding operational 

delays (e.g., drawbridge openings) and weather-related delays (e.g., 

mudslides), and improving on-time performance from 68 percent to 88 

percent.

• Enhanced Efficiency: Enhancing the efficient movement of people by 

decreasing trip times by 10 minutes, and reducing the amount of time 

passenger trains spend yielding to freight movements.

• Improved Safety: Constructing at-grade crossings with upgraded safety 

features, including wayside horns, median barriers, advance warning 

signals, and traffic signal improvements.

What alternatives are being considered for the Point 

Defiance Bypass Project?

FRA and WSDOT conducted an evaluation of three build alternatives: the 

Point Defiance Bypass Alternative, the Shoreline Alternative, and the 

Greenfield Alternative. Two of the alternatives (the Shoreline Alternative, 

and the Greenfield Alternative) were eliminated from further study. 

Although both alternatives could meet the Project’s purpose and need, 

they were determined to be impracticable and unfeasible due to technical 

constraints, high construction costs, and significant environmental effects. 

Grade separations were also evaluated for further consideration. FRA and 

WSDOT’s preliminary analysis revealed that current and projected future 

traffic volumes do not warrant the construction of new grade-separated 

crossings. 

What’s happening in the bypass corridor today?

The rail line between TR Junction and East “D” Street in Tacoma hosts 

both freight and commuter trains, including freight operators Tacoma Rail 

and BNSF, and Sound Transit’s Sounder commuter rail service. Freight 
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Land Use Discipline Report Page 3

train traffic between TR Junction and East “D” Street averages under two 

trains per day, while Sound Transit currently operates 18 trains per day 

between Freighthouse Square and Seattle each weekday, and also offers 

occasional special event trains, usually on weekends, to serve sporting and 

other events in Seattle. Sounder service to Lakewood begins in late 2012.

What would happen if the Project were not built? 

If the Project were not built (the No Build Alternative), Amtrak’s 

Cascades and Coast Starlight passenger train service would continue to 

use the existing Puget Sound route. The No Build Alternative includes 

only the minor maintenance and repair activities necessary to keep the 

existing Puget Sound route operational. With the No Build Alternative, it 

would be expected that as freight traffic increases, congestion would 

adversely affect Amtrak service reliability, and the travel time for Amtrak 

trains between Seattle and Portland would increase.

Along the Point Defiance Bypass route, the Tacoma Rail and BNSF 

freight services would continue. The at-grade crossings at Clover Creek 

Drive Southwest, North Thorne Lane Southwest, Berkeley Street 

Southwest, 41st Division Drive, and Barksdale Avenue Southwest would 

not be upgraded.

Sound Transit’s Sounder commuter passenger trains will become 

operational in late 2012 between the Tacoma Dome Station at 

Freighthouse Square in Tacoma and Sound Transit’s Lakewood Station 

(on the Point Defiance Bypass route) with as many as 18 Sounder trains 

per day.

What are the proposed improvements and related activities 

of the Point Defiance Bypass Project?

The Project consists of railroad track and support facility improvements, 

and the relocation of Amtrak’s Tacoma Station. Exhibit 1 shows the 

components of the Build Alternative. The following details specific 

components of the Build Alternative.

• Construct New Track Adjacent to the Existing Main Line – A new 

3.5-mile track adjacent to the existing main line would be constructed 

from South 66th Street (Rail MP 6.9) in Tacoma to between Bridgeport 

Way SW (Rail MP 10.4) and Clover Creek Drive SW (Rail MP 10.9) in 

Lakewood.

• Reconstruct and Rehabilitate the Existing Main Line – Starting just 

southwest of Bridgeport Way Southwest (Rail MP 10.4) in Lakewood, the 

existing track would be reconstructed to a location southeast of the I-
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Page 4 Land Use Discipline Report

5/Mounts Road Southwest interchange (Rail MP 19.8) at Nisqually 

Junction.

• Improvements at at-Grade Crossings – Several grade crossings would 

be improved with wayside horns, gates, traffic signals and signage, 

sidewalks, median separators, and warning devices. These crossings 

include Clover Creek Drive Southwest, North Thorne Lane Southwest, 

Berkeley Street Southwest, 41st Division Drive and Barksdale Avenue.

• Tacoma Amtrak Station Relocation – The existing Tacoma Amtrak 

Station would be relocated from its Puyallup Avenue location to the 

Tacoma Dome Station at Freighthouse Square, at 430 E. 25th Street in 

Tacoma.

What are the proposed operational changes that would 

result from the Point Defiance Bypass Project?

Amtrak’s existing Cascades and Coast Starlight passenger train service 

would be rerouted from the Puget Sound route along the Puget Sound 

shoreline to the Point Defiance Bypass route. The Project would also 

provide for additional Amtrak Cascades service by increasing the number 

of round trips provided from 4 to 6, or a total of 12 Cascades service train 

trips. Amtrak Coast Starlight would also travel on the Point Defiance 

Bypass route for a total of two Coast Starlight service train trips. The 

speed of these passenger trains would be up to 79 mph.
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 5

Exhibit 1. Build Alternative Components

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Land Use Discipline Report Page 7

Chapter 2 – Methodology

Under 64 Federal Register 28550, an EA for a Build Alternative by the 

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) requires review for potential 

environmental effects to existing and planned land uses that may result 

from a proposed rail project. 

This section outlines the methodology used for this report and identifies 

the study area boundaries, information sources and applicable land use 

laws and regulations that were reviewed. This report also provides an 

evaluation of consistency of the Project with the applicable regulations. 

The information reviewed was used to evaluate potential effects by the 

Project.

Why should land use be reviewed?

Transportation is a key component on how and where land development 

occurs and land uses are located. Transportation projects can have direct 

or indirect effects on both existing and planned land uses of a community, 

municipality, or region. Proposed transportation projects must consider 

their consistency and compatibility with existing land uses, as well as 

adopted comprehensive plans (planned or future land use) and regulations.

As required by state law, comprehensive plans are adopted by cities and 

counties and include goals, policies and land designations that identify 

where planned uses would be located for the next 20 years. These plans 

include general goals and policies to help guide the location or 

improvement of transportation facilities in coordination with existing and 

future land use patterns, and include maps that generally illustrate the 

intended future land use pattern.

Cities and counties also adopt zoning and other development regulations 

that implement the comprehensive plan’s goals, policies and map 

designations by providing specific land use and development standards 

that apply to a specific area. 
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 8 Land Use Discipline Report

What key regulations apply to land use planning and 

consistency analyses?

What key federal regulations apply?

The following federal regulations reviewed for this report and analysis 

include:

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Section 1506.2(d) 

and 2506.1(c)

• Interstate Commerce Act (ICA)

Other laws that protect public lands include: 

• Sections 4(f) and 6(f) 

National Environmental Policy Act

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA Section 1506.2(d) and 

2506.1(c) requires analysis and a description of possible conflicts or 

inconsistencies between the Project and applicable federal, state, and local 

land use policies, plans and regulations. If an inconsistency, effect or 

conflict resulting from the Project is identified, a discussion is needed that 

describes the extent of effect or inconsistency and proposed measures to 

reduce or reconcile the conflict or inconsistency.

Interstate Commerce Act 

The Interstate Commerce Act (ICA) was originally enacted in 1887 to 

govern the railroad industry and it created the Interstate Commerce 

Commission (ICC). The ICC oversaw conduct of the railroad industry, 

including restricting monopolies and promoting fair, nondiscriminatory 

practices and rates. 

Various amendments to the ICA were adopted over the last century. 

Amendments in the 1980s and 1990s focused on deregulation, and in 

1995, the ICC was dissolved and its powers were transferred to the 

National Surface Transportation Board (STB). 

Under Chapter 49 USC 10901, the STB is empowered to authorize the 

construction and operation of rail lines.

4 This includes additions to and 

extensions of existing rail lines under certain criteria. Under Chapter 49 

 4 Title 49 – Transportation Subtitle IV – Interstate Transportation, Part A – Rail Chapter 109 –

Licensing, Sec. 10901 (c) The Board shall issue a certificate authorizing activities for which such 

authority is requested in an application filed under subsection (b) unless the Board finds that such 

activities are inconsistent with the public convenience and necessity. Such certificate may approve 

the application as filed, or with modifications, and may require compliance with conditions (other 

than labor protection conditions) the Board finds necessary in the public interest.
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 9

USC 10501(b), the STB has jurisdiction over rail transportation within a 

state over a state or local regulation that would interfere with interstate 

commerce such as rail construction or operations.

5 In enacting the ICA, 

Congress expressed the intent to regulate railroad operations at a federal 

level, and not a state or local level. This is sometimes referred to as the 

federal preemption authority over the applicability of state and local laws 

and regulations to federal projects. 

Section 4(f)

Projects using federal funds or requiring a permit or license from the 

USDOT must meet the requirements of Section 4(f) of the USDOT Act of 

1966 (49 USC 303). Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation 

(USDOT) Act of 1966 provides protection to public parks, recreation 

lands, wildlife and waterfowl refuges, and historic sites. To qualify as a 

Section 4(f) resource, the site must meet the following criteria:

• It must be a publicly owned park, recreation area, or wildlife and 

waterfowl refuge

• If a park or recreation area, it must be open to the public

• Its major purpose is for park/recreation or wildlife and waterfowl 

refuge

• It is significant as a park, recreation area, or wildlife and waterfowl 

refuge

In addition, the following criterion qualifies a site as a Section 4(f) 

resource:

• It is significant as a historic site

To comply with the USDOT Act of 1966, an evaluation of affects to a 

significant publicly-owned park, recreation area, wildlife or waterfowl 

refuge, or historic site must be completed.

Because no acquisition of park, recreation area, wildlife and waterfowl, or 

historic sites is proposed as a part of the Project, Section 4(f) provisions do 

not apply to the Project. 

 5 This regulation defines “local government authority” as: (A) a political subdivision of a State; 

(B) an authority of at least 1 State or political subdivision of a State; (C) an Indian tribe; and (D) a 

public corporation, board, or commission established under the laws of a State. 1) transportation 

by rail carriers, and the remedies provided in this part with respect to rates, classifications, rules 

(including car service, interchange, and other operating rules), practices, routes, services, and 

facilities of such carriers; and (2) the construction, acquisition, operation, abandonment, or 

discontinuance of spur, industrial, team, switching, or side tracks, or facilities, even if the tracks 

are located, or intended to be located, entirely in one State, is exclusive. Except as otherwise 

provided in this part, the remedies provided under this part with respect to regulation of rail 

transportation are exclusive and preempt the remedies provided under Federal or State law.
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

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Section 6(f)

Section 6(f) refers to the Land and Water Conservation Funds Act 

(LWCFA) that distributes grant money for purchase or improves publiclyowned outdoor recreational properties. Section 6(f) of the LWCFA 

concerns transportation projects that propose effects to or the permanent 

conversion of outdoor recreational lands that were acquired or developed 

with LWCFA funds and prohibits conversion of these properties acquired 

or developed with these grants to a non-recreational purpose without the 

approval of the U.S. Department of Interior’s National Park Service 

(NPS). 

Because parks and recreation areas often receive LWCFA assistance, 

Section 6(f) provisions often apply to Section 4(f) resources as well. 

Section 6(f) applies to any federal agency action, whereas Section 4(f) 

applies only to USDOT actions. Section 6(f) is more stringent about 

minimization. NPS involvement ensures that lands of equal value, 

location, and usefulness are provided as conditions to approval of Section 

6(f) land conversions.

Because no acquisition of park property is proposed as a part of the 

Project, Section 6(f) provisions do not apply to the Project. 

Which key state regulations apply?

The following state regulations reviewed for this report and analysis 

include:

• Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), Revised 

Code of Washington (RCW) 43.21C

• Shorelines Management Act (SMA), RCW 90.58

State Environmental Policy Act

The SEPA, RCW 43.21C, adopted in 1971, requires new land uses to be 

reviewed for consistency with and effects to the social, natural and 

economic environments that may be affected by the proposal. This is 

similar to the NEPA requirements previously described.

The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA), RCW 36.70A,

6

adopted in 1990, required the larger, faster growing cities and counties 

within the State to adopt land use plans and regulations to guide future 

land development over the next 20-year period. These complex plans 

reflect community values, while also addressing mandatory planning 

elements, such as land use, economic, capital facilities, resource lands, 

critical areas and transportation. Coordination and consistency of the

 6 Washington State Legislature, Office of the Code Reviser
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Land Use Discipline Report Page 11

adopted plans with other mandatory elements within the plan is required, 

in addition to bordering jurisdictions and regional transportation planning 

efforts. 

RCW 36.70A.103 of the GMA was adopted in 1991 requires state 

agencies to comply with local comprehensive plans and development 

regulations. Section RCW 36.70A.200 of the GMA was also adopted in 

1991 and requires that cities and counties identify and not preclude the 

siting of essential public facilities, which include transportation facilities 

and services as defined under RCW 47.06.140.

7 The Project qualifies as 

transportation facility of statewide significance.

Critical areas are defined by GMA under RCW 36.70A.030 and include

the following natural areas and ecosystems: wetlands; areas with a critical 

recharging effect on aquifers used for potable water; fish and wildlife 

habitat conservation areas; frequently flooded areas; and geologically 

hazardous areas. 

To comply with GMA and local comprehensive planning policies, local 

jurisdictions adopted Critical Areas Ordinances (CAO) that specify

standards for new developments within in or near designated critical areas. 

For the purposes of this report, only fish and wildlife habitat conservation 

areas and aquifer recharge areas are researched and discussed as the other 

critical areas are discussed in other discipline reports prepared for the 

Project.

Shorelines Management Act

The SMA, RCW 90.58, adopted in 1971, requires cities and counties with 

shorelines that are located within their boundaries to adopt a Shoreline 

Management Program (SMP). Shorelines generally include water features 

such as streams with a flow of at least 20 cubic feet per second and lakes 

that are at least 20-acres in size, along with adjacent wetlands. The locally-

 7 RCW 47.06.140. Transportation facilities and services of statewide significance – Level of Service 

standards. (1) The legislature declares the following transportation facilities and services to be of 

statewide significance: Highways of statewide significance as designated by the legislature under 

chapter 47.05 RCW, the interstate highway system, interregional state principal arterials including 

ferry connections that serve statewide travel, intercity passenger rail services, intercity high-speed 

ground transportation, major passenger intermodal terminals excluding all airport facilities and 

services, the freight railroad system, the Columbia/Snake navigable river system, marine port 

facilities and services that are related solely to marine activities affecting international and 

interstate trade, key freight transportation corridors serving these marine port facilities, and high 

capacity transportation systems serving regions as defined in RCW 81.104.015. The department, in 

cooperation with regional transportation planning organizations, counties, cities, transit agencies, 

public ports, private railroad operators, and private transportation providers, as appropriate, shall 

plan for improvements to transportation facilities and services of statewide significance in the 

statewide multimodal transportation plan. Improvements to facilities and services of statewide 

significance identified in the statewide multimodal transportation plan, or to highways of statewide

significance designated by the legislature under chapter 47.05 RCW, are essential state public 

facilities under RCW 36.70A.200.
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 12 Land Use Discipline Report

adopted SMP includes shoreline environmental designations that identify 

uses allowed in or near shorelines, in addition to minimum development 

standards and conditions that must be met by the proposed development. 

In 1995, the GMA was amended to require integration with GMA so that 

the goals and policies of the SMA are incorporated into and consistent 

with the local comprehensive plan, resulting in further consistency of 

regulations that apply to land development.

How was the study area defined for this report?

For the Project (the Build Alternative) the study area included land uses 

within 500 feet of each side of the Project footprint, and the proposed 

relocation of the existing Tacoma Amtrak Station to the Tacoma Dome 

Station at Freighthouse Square. The study area is shown in Exhibit 2.

The northern limit of the Project is TR Junction near the I-5 overcrossing 

of the Puyallup River and East Bay Street in Tacoma. The southern limit 

of the Project is at the Nisqually Junction. 

The Project was previously evaluated in 2007. At that time, the northern 

terminus was South 66th Street and southern terminus was Nisqually 

Junction. The study area for this report extends farther north to incorporate 

the expanded project and station relocation.

How was the study area defined for the existing route, the 

No Build Alternative?

The study area for this report includes the existing route (No Build

Alternative) consisting of the existing BNSF railroad right-of-way around 

Point Defiance used by Amtrak passenger trains and also includes the 

proposed corridor currently used as by existing freight and commuter 

trains. Additional background information and a description of the existing 

physical environment of the existing Amtrak passenger route can be found 

in the Point Defiance Shoreline Alternative Technical Memorandum, May 

2011.

8

 8

WSDOT 2011 
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 13

 Exhibit 2. Study Area
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 14 Land Use Discipline Report

What Information was researched?

The research and analysis conducted for this report follows the procedures 

outlined in the WSDOT Environmental Procedures Manual (June 2011), 

Chapter 450 (Land Use) and includes the following elements:

• Existing Land Uses

• Planned Land Uses (Comprehensive and/or Planned Use Plans and 

Policies) and Future Conditions

• SMA Environment and CAO Designations

• Development Trends 

How was information collected and how was the analysis 

conducted?

Information and analysis on existing and planned land uses was based on 

the review of the FRA and WSDOT study area maps, preliminary 

drawings, aerial photographs, inventories, WSDOT and Internet 

Geographic Information System (GIS) data obtained from local agencies, 

and of land use regulations, plans, and zoning codes. Additionally, a 

windshield survey conducted on March 10, 2011. 

The aerial photographs, GIS data, plans, and zoning codes were used to 

analyze existing conditions and evaluate potential effects that could result 

from the Project. The plans and codes were also reviewed to evaluate the 

project’s relationship to and consistency with existing regulations, goals, 

and policies. 

Comprehensive plan goals and policies, and zoning and SMA/CAO 

regulations reviewed for this report were generally obtained online from 

the following agency websites:

• City of Tacoma 

o Comprehensive Plan

o Tacoma Dome Area Plan 

o Zoning Code 

o Shoreline Management 

o Critical Areas 

• City of Lakewood 

o Comprehensive Plan 

o Tillicum Neighborhood Plan 

o Zoning Code

o Shoreline Management 

o Critical Areas

• City of DuPont

o Comprehensive Plan
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 15

o Zoning Code

• Pierce County 

o Countywide Planning Policies 

o Comprehensive Plan

o Zoning Code 

o Shoreline Management

o Critical Areas Ordinance 

• Military Areas

o Joint Base Lewis McChord Growth Coordination Plan, 

Land Use Appendix 

• Other

o Puget Sound Regional Council, Vision 2040

How does this report relate to previous environmental 

studies completed for the Project?

This discipline report builds upon and updates a previous technical 

memorandum that was completed in August 2007. Development of this 

report also included the review of the following environmental and land 

use analyses recently completed for rail related projects within or related 

to the study area:

• Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor, Washington State Segment –

Columbia River to the Canadian Border, Finding of No Significant 

Impact, USDOT FRA and WSDOT (December 2010)

• Sound Transit Lakewood-to-Tacoma Commuter Rail D-M Street 

Improvement Project, Tacoma WA, Finding of No Significant 

Impact (December 2, 2009)

• Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor. Washington State Segment –

Columbia River to the Canadian Border. Program Environmental 

Assessment (September. 2009)

• Sound Transit D Street to M Street Commuter Rail, NEPA 

Environmental Assessment, FRA (September 9, 2009)

• Point Defiance Bypass Project, Environmental Summary, WSDOT 

(May 2008)

• Sound Transit Lakewood-to-Tacoma Commuter Rail D-M Street 

Improvement Project, Tacoma WA, NEPA Environmental 

Assessment (May 2008)

• Sound Transit Lakewood to Tacoma Commuter Rail and SR-512 

Park and Ride Expansion NEPA/SEPA Final Environmental 

Impact Statement, US FTA, Sound Transit, The Central Puget 

Sound Regional Transit Authority, Sections 2.9, 3.9 and 4.9 (May 

2002)
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 16 Land Use Discipline Report

What coordination was used in the land use analysis?

Coordination with local jurisdictions is essential to identify potential 

effects of the Project that may affect current and planned land uses. 

Development of this report included coordination with other authors 

responsible for the transportation, noise and vibration, water resources, 

fish, wildlife and vegetation, visual, socioeconomic and environmental 

justice, public services and utilities, and air quality discipline reports

prepared for the Project. Development of this report also included review 

of agency comments received on the Project and personal communications 

with agency experts
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 17

Chapter 3 – Affected Environment

This section provides an overview of existing land uses in the study area

for the Project which is shown in Exhibit 2. The information reviewed was 

used to evaluate potential effects to these existing land uses.

Under the existing conditions, Amtrak passenger trains use the BNSF 

Puget Sound route (No Build Alternative) which is primarily used as a 

freight corridor. As described in Chapter 1, the Project route would use an 

existing rail corridor comprised of the Prairie and American Lake rail lines 

constructed in 1873 and 1891. The proposed route is also primarily used 

as a freight corridor except for the area north of the Lakewood Station 

which also used by commuter rail.

The existing land use characteristics of the existing route (No Build

Alternative) were not analyzed in detail, but the uses generally consist of a 

mix of park, residential, forestry, shoreline, wildlife refuges, and open 

areas adjacent to an existing railroad corridor. These uses would not 

change if the Project is not built. Most of the existing route is located 

along the Puget Sound shoreline.

What are the general existing land use characteristics of 

the study area for the Project?

The 20-mile-long study area can be described as an existing railroad 

corridor that generally parallels and is west of the

I-5 transportation corridor and is located within both incorporated and 

unincorporated areas.

Approximately two-thirds of the Project length is located within or 

adjacent to the incorporated cities of Tacoma, Lakewood, and DuPont. 

The remainder lies within unincorporated area of Pierce County, the 

majority of which is occupied by US Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM)

and Camp Murray National Guard military complexes. 

The study area is approximately 2,563 acres in size and is generally 

comprised as follows:

• 60 percent lies within incorporated areas of the Cities of Tacoma 

and Lakewood (34% and 26%, respectively) 

• 40 percent lies within unincorporated Pierce County

• 24 percent of lies within a designated military reservation located 

within both incorporated and unincorporated areas (percentages 
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 18 Land Use Discipline Report

exceed 100 because much of the military reservation is within 

unincorporated Pierce County).

The existing land uses that are adjacent to the Project are generally 

categorized as: 

• Heavy and light industrial and manufacturing

• Commercial – including retail, office, restaurant, and services

• Educational – including elementary and middle schools, technical, 

and post-secondary/college

• Open space and recreation – including open areas and drainages; 

• Single- and multi-family residential

• US military reservation – including residential, commercial, and 

operational/training areas 

• Transportation and utility– including transportation system rights

of way, electrical substations and/or other utility support structures 

or improvements.

Further description of the existing land uses located within the

unincorporated and incorporated areas are provided below and are shown 

in Exhibit 3, Panels 1-10.
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Land Use Discipline Report Page 19

Exhibit 3. (Panels 1-10) Existing Land Uses

Note: Depicts existing land 

uses within the municipality 

of Tacoma.
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

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Note: Depicts existing land 

uses within the municipality 

of Tacoma.
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 21

Note: Depicts existing land 

uses within the municipality 

of Tacoma.
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 22 Land Use Discipline Report

Note: Depicts existing land 

uses within the municipalities 

of Tacoma and Lakewood.
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 23

Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within the municipality of Lakewood.
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 24 Land Use Discipline Report

Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within the municipality of Lakewood 

and Pierce County.
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 25

Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within the municipality of Lakewood 

and Pierce County.
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 26 Land Use Discipline Report

Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within Pierce County.
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 27

Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within the municipality of DuPont 

and Pierce County.
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 28 Land Use Discipline Report

Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within Pierce County.
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 29

What are the existing land uses within the incorporated 

areas of Tacoma and Lakewood?

Exhibit 3 (Panels 1-7) shows the existing land uses within the city limits 

of Tacoma and Lakewood. In addition, Exhibit 8 and Exhibit 9 provide 

information about the number of existing land uses and their combined 

percentages within the incorporated areas of Tacoma and Lakewood. The 

majority of commercial, industrial, and transportation/utility uses are 

within the city limits of Tacoma while the majority of single and multifamily residential uses are located within Lakewood. The total number of 

the various existing land use categories within this segment is as follows:

• Commercial: 738 uses (40 percent of total) 

• Industrial: 353 uses (19 percent) 

• Single-family: 329 uses (18 percent) 

• Multi-family: 96 uses (5 percent) 

• Vacant: 193 uses (11 percent) 

• Transportation/Utility 86 uses (5 percent)

• Other: All other remaining categories including recreation, parks, 

open space 39 uses (2 percent)

Exhibit 4. Existing Land Uses –Incorporated Areas

40%

19%

18%

5%

11%

5%

2%

Existing Land Uses 

Commercial 

Industrial 

Single family 

Multi famly

Vacant

Transportation/Utility

Other
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 30 Land Use Discipline Report

Exhibit 5. Existing Land Uses within incorporated areas

Land Use Category9

Number of Uses

Tacoma Lakewood Total

Commercial / Service 520 218 738

Industrial 332 21 353

Single Family 57 272 329

Vacant 143 50 193

Multi-family 11 85 96

Transportation-Utilities 73 13 86

Open Space/Recreation/ 

Resource 14 7 21

Quasi-public/Public 10 3 13

Education 1 4 5

TOTAL 1,161 673 1,834

Beginning at the northern end of the study area and proceeding south 

through Tacoma and Lakewood, additional description of the land uses 

within the study area are summarized below.

What are the characteristics within the city limits of Tacoma?

For the portion of the study area that lies within the city limits of Tacoma, 

the majority (73%) of existing land uses are commercial and industrial. 

Vacant lands comprise 12%. Transportation/utility uses and residential 

uses (single-and multi-family) each comprise 6%. Exhibit 3 (Panels 1-4) 

shows the location of the existing land uses located within Tacoma. 

Northern Terminus at TR Junction to South 66th Street Southwest 

This segment includes the Tacoma Amtrak Station relocation from 

Puyallup Avenue to Freighthouse Square at 430 East 25th Street and 

covers the area located north of the study area boundary identified in the 

Point Defiance Bypass Environmental Summary and NEPA Documented 

Categorical Exclusion (South 66th Street Southwest).

Land uses on both sides of the existing railroad corridor include industrial 

and commercial (service, retail, and restaurant), with a few residences and 

vacant lots. This segment contains multiple, major transportation-oriented 

uses. 

Examples of land uses in the vicinity include the major industrial facilities 

(e.g., Port of Tacoma, Foss Waterway) and regional commercial uses (e.g., 

Tacoma Dome, Sounder Tacoma Dome Station/Freighthouse Square, 

Tacoma “Train to the Mountain” service, Greyhound bus terminal, 

 9 Pierce County 2011
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 31

Burlington Northern rail yard). Other uses include: Tacoma Goodwill 

Industries, Tacoma Mall, Pierce County government offices, and a 

Superfund site. This segment also includes the I-5/I-705 and I-5/US 16 

interchanges. 

Adjacent uses and structures within this segment are generally in close 

proximity to the existing rail corridor. Exceptions that have greater 

setbacks to nearby buildings or have vegetated open areas between the 

railroad tracks and adjacent uses are from East Bay Street/East “R” Street 

to northern terminus and also from Tacoma Avenue South to South “M” 

Street. 

Station Relocation

The land uses adjacent to the existing Tacoma Amtrak Station are similar 

to those near Freighthouse Square due to the proximity of the two sites. 

These land uses include the Sound Transit station, restaurants, retail shops 

and vacant shops. 

South 66th Street, Tacoma, to South 80th Street, Lakewood 

Land uses on both sides of the existing railroad corridor in this segment 

include industrial, commercial and vacant lots. 

What are the characteristics within the city limits of Lakewood?

For the segment of the study area that lays within the city limits of 

Lakewood, the majority (53 percent) of existing land uses is residential 

(single- and multi-family). Commercial and industrial land uses comprise 

35 percent. Vacant lands comprise 7 percent, and Transportation/Open 

space/Recreation and public facilities/right-of-way comprise the remaining 

5 percent. Exhibit 3 (Panels 4-7) shows the location of the existing land 

uses located within Lakewood.

South 80th Street to 100th Street Southwest

The majority of land uses between South 80th Street and 100th Street 

Southwest are mostly commercial uses mixed with some industrial uses. 

Mt. View Memorial Park (cemetery) is located west of the Project 

between South 74th Street and Steilacoom Boulevard Southwest. Pierce 

Transit is located east of the Project, north of 199th Street Southwest. 

Southgate Elementary School abuts the Project on the west side near 100th

Street Southwest. Lakeview Way Southwest borders the rail corridor on 

the west side. 

100th Street Southwest to Berkeley Street Southwest

Continuing south of 100th Street Southwest, the majority of land uses on 

both sides of the rail corridor are single- and multi-family residential to 
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 32 Land Use Discipline Report

almost 112th Street where commercial uses begin again on the east side. 

Lakewood Elementary School is located west of the corridor. The Sound 

Transit Lakewood Station and parking facility is located north of 

Bridgeport Way Southwest, as is St. Clare Hospital. Nearing Bridgeport 

Way Southwest, commercial uses are on both sides of the rail corridor.

South of Bridgeport Way Southwest, commercial uses continued on the 

east side to Pacific Avenue Southwest and Forest Glen Lane Southwest 

area. The Tyee Park Elementary School is located on the west side of the 

corridor. Near Pacific Avenue Southwest, the rail corridor is located closer 

to the I-5 transportation corridor with the military base on the other side of 

I-5. The Tacoma Country and Golf Club is located east of the rail corridor 

and parallels the railroad and I-5 corridors for approximately one mile.

Just past Lake Street Southwest, commercial uses begin again on the west 

side of the corridor to just past the Lakewood city limits at Berkeley Street 

Southwest. 

What are the existing land uses within the unincorporated 

areas of Pierce County?

Review and quantification of the existing land uses within Pierce County 

was limited due to the extent of the military reservation and limited data. 

According to the WSDOT GIS Workbench and Pierce County GIS data, 

50 parcels totaling 1,000 acres exist within this portion of the study area. It 

is assumed that the large tract of land containing the military bases is 

counted as only one or a few parcels.

The actual number or percentages of the different uses were not compiled. 

Exhibit 3 (Panels 7-10) shows the location of the existing land uses 

located within unincorporated Pierce County as identified by Pierce 

County GIS data.

10

Berkeley Street Southwest to Southern Terminus at Nisqually

South of the Lakewood city limits (Berkeley Street Southwest), the rail 

corridor is located within the unincorporated area of Pierce County. The 

majority of land uses on both sides of the study area are military 

reservation, undeveloped forest land, and open space and recreation, 

including the Fort Lewis Military Golf Course. 

Review of aerial photographs and JBLM planning documents identify 

commercial services and residential military uses within the designated 

military reservation located adjacent to the rail corridor. The analyses 

 10 Pierce County 2011
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 33

revealed only a few commercial, residential, recreational, and 

transportation/utility uses, and vacant uses within the non-military areas. 

North and south of the DuPont city limits, the residential uses continue on 

the east side and commercial, residential and vacant lands exist on the 

west side just past the Center Drive interchange. From this point south, 

rural military uses exist on both sides of the existing railroad corridor. The

railroad corridor is separated by land uses in DuPont by a major arterial 

and two I-5 interchanges.

What are the general land use characteristics of the 

military reservations located within the study area?

The location and extent of military reservation land in the study area is 

shown in Exhibit 2. JBLM, an 86,000-acre military reservation, is the third 

largest Army installation in the western United States. It includes Fort 

Lewis Army Post, McChord Air Force Base and Camp Murray National 

Guard. JBLM is recognized as the third largest employer in Washington 

State and notably has the most significant economic influence in the study

area with over 50,000 employees and a total military payroll of $3.2 

billion in 2010. JBLM population and workforce are anticipated to 

increase.

11

A portion of JBLM (Main and McChord sections) is within the study area 

but the majority is separated by the I-5 corridor. Residential uses are 

predominantly between MP 10 and MP 17 (Bridgeport Way Southwest to 

McChord Drive Southwest and also Lake Lane Southwest to Pendleton 

Avenue). Within McChord Air Force Base boundaries, residential uses 

and aircraft maintenance uses are identified. The remaining areas adjacent 

to DuPont south to the southern termini are identified as training areas.

12

Currently, JBLM generates approximately 152,000 off-site vehicle trips 

per day, with access to or from JBLM via multiple gates.

13 These trips are 

defined as the number of vehicles entering or leaving the access control 

points on an average daily basis. Currently during the PM peak hour, 

traffic to and from JBLM contributes significant numbers of vehicles to 

the surrounding roadway networks. Extensive collaborative planning 

efforts are ongoing between multiple agencies to efficiently plan for future 

growth of military personnel and civilians on and off base while managing 

transportation effects and congestion. This includes gate relocation and 

other capital projects to improve traffic flow in this urban area along the I5 corridor.

14

 11 US Army 2010 12 US Army 2010a 13 US Army 2010 14 WSDOT 2010
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 34 Land Use Discipline Report

What adjacent existing land uses may affect the Project?

Throughout the existing rail corridor, several adjacent land uses occupy 

portions of the railroad right-of-way with parking lots, outside storage, 

fences and two buildings. Some occupied areas have leases with the 

underlying railroad right-of-way owners: Sound Transit and BNSF. A 

2010 WSDOT inventory identified approximately 50 encroachments by 

commercial or industrial uses. Since the original investigation, many of 

these encroachments have been resolved through leases and removing the 

encroachment. Only one of the encroachments involves a building, and 

WSDOT is working with the owner to resolve the issue. The remaining 18 

unabated locations involve parking and storage areas and are anticipated to 

be resolved prior to construction of the Project. 

What resource lands were identified within the study area?

Resource lands include those lands used or have physical characteristics 

that make them ideal for agricultural, forestry or mineral extraction 

purposes. In the study area and near the southern terminus of the Project

(Rail MP 17), the WSDOT GIS Workbench identifies lands as Farmland 

of Statewide Importance.

15 The Pierce County Zoning Code designation 

for these lands is Agricultural Resource Land which includes lands that 

are primarily devoted to commercial production of agricultural products.

16

These designated agricultural lands are outside of and separated from the 

existing railroad corridor by the I-5 corridor. 

There are no other designated agricultural resource lands identified within 

the study area. In addition, there are no areas designated as mineral or 

forestry resource lands identified within the study area.17

What shorelines and critical areas were identified within 

the study area?

This section provides an overview of shorelines and critical areas 

identified within the study area of the Project. Additional information on 

these natural features can be found in the Water Resources, Wetlands, and

Fish, Wildlife, and Vegetation discipline reports also prepared for the 

Project.

What streams or shorelines are located in the study area?

The study area is traversed by five streams. These natural features qualify 

as shorelines or critical areas, and proposed developments in or near these 

 15 Natural Resource Conservation Service Agency designation 16 Pierce County 2011 17 WSDOT GIS Workbench 
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 35

features are regulated. Locations of these natural features are shown in 

Exhibit 6.

Generally, classification of streams is based on the Washington State 

Department Natural Resources (WADNR) Water Typing System adopted 

under WAC 222-16-030, which is incorporated into a Shoreline Master 

Program and CAO adopted by the local jurisdiction. Designation criteria

of streams are also guided by the SMA (RCW 90.58) and the Water 

Pollution Control Act (RCW 90.48).

18

The Puyallup River and Nisqually River are designated shorelines of the 

state by the SMA, are classified Type S Waters by WADNR, and are 

located near the northern and southern Project termini, respectively, but 

outside of the study area identified for this report. 

Within the city limits of Tacoma, an unnamed and unclassified stream 

flows westerly through the I-5 and railroad corridor into the Flett Creek 

Holding Basin. The stream crosses the railroad corridor via a culvert 

between Rail MP 7.5 and 7.6. 

Clover Creek also drains westerly through the I-5 corridor, crosses under 

the railroad corridor via a bridge near Rail MP 10.8, and ultimately drains 

into Steilacoom Lake. Clover Creek is located within the city limits of 

Lakewood and is classified as a Type S stream according to the WADNR 

system and is a shoreline of the state under SMA. Adopted as Chapter 

14.13 of the Municipal Code, the Lakewood SMP designates Clover Creek 

as an Urban shoreline environment and requires a 50-foot habitat 

protection buffer.

19 As part of the Project, reconstruction of the track is 

planned at Clover Creek approximately 15-20 feet west of the existing 

main line but within the existing rail right-of-way. The Project design does 

not require bridge upgrades for the reconstruction and no in-water work or 

alteration to the stream or its buffer is proposed. 

Another unnamed and unclassified stream within Lakewood city limits 

crosses the I-5 corridor, and also the railroad corridor via a culvert at Rail 

MP 12.8 and drains into American Lake. 

Murray Creek also drains westerly through the I-5 corridor and crosses the 

railroad corridor via a culvert at Rail MP 14 and ultimately drains into 

American Lake. This portion of Murray Creek is within the

unincorporated area of Pierce County. Murray Creek is designated in by

the WDNR Water Type Code system as a Type F stream which generally 

indicates that the stream has a year round flow with identified fish habitat 

or fish presence. As part of the Project, reconstruction of the track is 

 18 Washington State Legislature 2011 19 Lakewood Municipal Code 2006 
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 36 Land Use Discipline Report

planned at the Murray Creek crossing but no culvert replacement and no in 

water work or alternation to the stream or its buffer is proposed. 

Another unnamed and unclassified stream crosses the railroad corridor 

near Rail MP 20.6 and drains into the Nisqually River.

20

Any expanded or replaced crossing structures or alteration to the stream 

channel or buffer may require some level of regulatory approvals via SMA 

and CAO permit processes adopted by the local jurisdiction. 

 20 Pierce County 2011
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Land Use Discipline Report Page 37

 Exhibit 6. Streams within the Study Area
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 38 Land Use Discipline Report

What critical aquifer recharge areas were identified in the study 

area?

The majority of the project corridor is located within a critical aquifer 

recharge area which is a type of critical area subject to GMA and CAO 

regulations. This area is also designated as a sole source aquifer, Central 

Pierce County Aquifer System, which supplies the majority of drinking 

water source for the region. Pierce County and the cities of Lakewood and 

Tacoma each have regulations that may restrict the location of certain land 

uses in critical aquifer recharge areas, as well as require specific ground 

water pollution control requirements to prevent leaching into the 

groundwater system. Further information can be found in the Water 

Resources Discipline Report21 prepared for the Project.

What habitat areas were identified in the study area?

Due to existing baseline disturbance from surrounding urban development, 

automobile and train traffic, human activity, and vegetation management, 

suitable habitat for wildlife listed under the Endangered Species Act 

(ESA) is absent within the study area. Additionally, due to railroad 

maintenance and operations, conditions within the study area are not

suitable for plants listed under the ESA. Further information can be found 

in the Fish, Wildlife, and Vegetation Discipline Report22 prepared for the 

Project.

What wetlands were identified in the study area?

As found in the Wetlands Discipline Report23 prepared for the Project, 

four wetlands are present within the Project study area.

What are the general development trends in the study

area?

What are the general state, regional and local economic and land 

use development trends?

The Washington State Office of Financial Management forecasts a 58% 

population increase for Washington State by 2040, from 6.6 million to 

almost 8.8 million people.

The population forecast for the Puget Sound Region includes 1.6 million 

additional persons by 2040. Resulting changes in land use and 

development patterns by population growth can be partly attributed to the 

national and regional economy, along with the balance between 

 21 WSDOT 2012a 22 WSDOT 2012b 23 WSDOT 2012c
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 39

transportation infrastructure investments and development, policies, tax 

structure, political leadership and public consensus on the region’s 

future.24

Similar to other parts of the Puget Sound area, Pierce County’s economy 

as a whole grew between 2004 and 2008 but since 2008, has suffered from 

the national recession. Two of the largest local economic drivers, health 

care and military, helped sustain the local and economy which has slowly 

improved in 2010. Single-family housing was predicted to improve in 

2010 but commercial and industrial real estate transactions and 

development were not.25 The economic forecast is for steady and slow 

growth in 2011.

26

In 2010, a transportation analysis was completed by WSDOT and 

TranspoGroup for the I-5 corridor between Exit 116 (Mounts Road) and 

127 (SR 512) that included a land use forecast for Pierce County for the 

year 2030. This analysis projected a 53 percent increase of the number of 

households for Pierce County (to 129,000) and an employment increase of 

60 percent or 123,000 jobs by 2030. Within the I-5 Corridor, these 

projections included a growth rate of 0.5 percent per year for each zoning 

district, an increased number of households by 13 percent, or 3,400 

households, and employment increase by 16 percent or 1,600 jobs.27

This is partly due to JBLM who has a major influence on state, region and 

local development trends. JBLM forecasts an increased need for housing 

to support the increase of military personnel over the next 10 years. The 

City of DuPont is identified as the third fastest growing area in the State of 

Washington partly due to residential developments designed for military 

personnel and their families which makes up about 40 percent of DuPont’s 

population.

28

JBLM identified multiple large projects within the base boundaries 

totaling $1.8 billion in construction from 2005-2010 and $2.4 billion in 

projected construction between 2010 and 2016. This includes the Freedom 

Crossing project that would construct 470,000 square feet of new

buildings for commercial/retail uses to support the base population and 

employees.

29

 24 Puget Sound Regional Council 25 Tacoma Pierce County Chamber of Commerce 2010 26 Tacoma Pierce County Chamber of Commerce 2011 27 WSDOT 2010 28 US Army 2010 29 US Army 2010a
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 40 Land Use Discipline Report

What is the general availability of developable lands in the study 

area?

As required by GMA, Pierce County and its 23 cities and towns developed 

a Buildable Land Program to efficiently evaluate and monitor actual 

development trends and patterns in urban areas. Data compiled through 

these efforts into a buildable lands inventory included the location and 

availability of commercial and industrial land for employment purposes 

and residential lands for housing. The local jurisdictions then determined

if the adopted land use plans accommodate the demand or projected need, 

and make amendments to land use plans accordingly. 

The inventory identified some of the buildable lands as vacant, 

underdeveloped or redevelopable which are further defined as follows:

• Vacant lands included individual parcels or those parcels that 

could be subdivided into more than one parcel 

• Underdeveloped included residentially-occupied parcels that could 

be subdivided into more residential lots, or residences that were 

located within commercial districts 

• Redevelopable parcels were those located in multi-family or 

commercial zoning districts that were occupied by buildings with 

questionable economic viability, and included those parcels with 

land values greater than the value of the improvements. 

For the purposes of this report, review of the 2007 Pierce County 

Buildable Lands Report and Appendix A, Inventory Maps, focused on the 

number of underdeveloped and redevelopable lands located within the 

study area and then compared the results to the existing land use inventory 

compiled in 2009 by Pierce County GIS.30 This review concluded that 

roughly 25 percent of the parcels located within the city limits of Tacoma 

portion of the study area met the standard for more intense development or 

redevelopment. In Lakewood, the percentage increased to roughly 30 

percent. 

What are the general development trends within the city limits of 

Tacoma?

The City of Tacoma identified the Tacoma Dome area as a Regional 

Growth Center and also as a Tacoma Dome Urban Mixed Use Center

which encompasses the existing Tacoma Amtrak Station and Freighthouse 

Square. This area is planned for intense residential, civic and commercial 

development with an emphasis on transit access and usage. 

 30 Pierce County 2011 
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 41

The City of Tacoma also identifies other city centers or neighborhoods 

such as the Downtown Tacoma Business Improvement Area, South 

Tacoma, Port of Tacoma, and the south Tacoma Way corridor which 

includes the study area located south of Freighthouse Square. The latter is 

designated as a Manufacturing and Industrial Growth Center which is 

developed with heavy and light industrial uses. 

The City of Tacoma identified redevelopment possibilities in the study 

area which are listed below. It should be noted that no formal proposals 

have been submitted as of the date of this report.

• A large tract of land that housed the former BNSF maintenance 

shop may be redeveloped for warehousing, and 

transportation/loading activities between 38th and 56th Streets

• The possible redevelopment in the 700 block of East 25th and the 

800 block of Puyallup Avenue

• Relocation of existing tenants and uses.31

What are the general development trends within the city limits of 

Lakewood?

In 2010, a transportation analysis was completed by WSDOT and 

TranspoGroup for the I-5 corridor between Exit 116 (Mounts Road) and 

127 (SR 512) that included a land use forecast for the City of Lakewood 

and Pierce County for the year 2030. The report noted that the forecasts 

for Lakewood were lower than Pierce County, indicating that Lakewood 

was currently well developed with most of the future building activity to 

occur on vacant land or by redevelopment of existing developed areas.32

The City of Lakewood identified recent city-wide developments that 

include several large public construction projects: Lakewood city hall at 

Lakewood Town Center, Lakewood Station, fire station, police station, 

and educational buildings. Residential and commercial development has 

been slow due to the current economy. Mixed use development is slow as 

well with only one newer development with relatively low occupancy 

rates.

33

Within 500 feet of the rail corridor and in addition to the developments 

above, the City of Lakewood identified the following building permit and 

land use developments or construction activities since 2007:

• One 4,000 square foot (s.f.) fast food restaurant

• Four commercial (ranging from a car dealership to an espresso 

stand)

 31 Shirley Schultz 32 WSDOT 2010 33 Marc Amrine
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• One mixed use commercial

• One 50,991 square feet elementary school

• One 31,000 square feet Boys and Girls Club/ community center 

• One 3 lot commercial short plat currently undeveloped

• Six building demolitions; 2 additional possible depending on 

pending abatement actions

• Two mobile home park closures totaling 89 housing units34

In addition, the City of Lakewood identifies the following projects and 

focus areas for redevelopment within the city that are near or within the 

study area:

• South Tacoma Way/Pacific Highway - Four new hotels and mini 

casinos are developing, and replacement of older buildings and 

uses by legal, contemporary redevelopment is being promoted.

• Bridgeport /100th Street Southwest - Redevelopment of the 

Lakewood Mall into the Lakewood Town Center to contain

restaurant, retail, office and government office uses.

• Tillicum and Woodbrook neighborhoods - A recently completed

sewer extension to serve these neighborhoods is likely to promote 

redevelopment.

35 Habitat for Humanity proposes to construct 30 

new homes in Tillicum starting in 2012.36

 34 Deborah Johnson 35 Deborah Johnson 36 Lakewood 2012 
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Chapter 4 – Consistency Analysis 

with Land Use Policies, Plans and 

Regulations

This section provides an overview of the land use plans, policies and

zoning designations adopted by the cities of Tacoma and Lakewood and 

Pierce County that apply to the study area. This section also analyzes the 

Project for consistency with the regulations adopted by these local 

jurisdictions.

What are the planned use and zoning policies and 

regulations adopted by the City of Tacoma that apply to the 

Project?

The City of Tacoma’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code applies to 

the northern one-third of the study area. Exhibit 7 lists the land use and 

zoning designations that apply to this segment. Maps showing the zoning 

designations within this portion of the study area are provided in Exhibit 8

(Panels 1-4).

The adopted comprehensive plan designations that apply to this segment 

of the study area range from High Intensity to the north and Medium 

Intensity from South 56th Street south to the Lakewood city limits. The 

Comprehensive Plan describes High Intensity uses as heavy and light 

manufacturing and industrial centers and developments of regional 

significance, and describes Medium Intensity uses include as commercial 

and service businesses of community-wide significance. 

Exhibit 7. City of Tacoma – Applicable Planned Use and Zoning Designations

Designation Comprehensive Plan Use Zoning37

Project Segment / 

Area Project Footprint Adjacent Project Footprint Adjacent

Freighthouse 

Square

High Intensity Same Urban Mixed UseTacoma Dome (UCX-TD)M1/Mixed Use

City of Tacoma to 

Lakewood City 

Limits

High 

Intensity/Medium 

Intensity

Same Industrial (M1, M2)

Commercial (C2, CIX,

UCX-TD)

Same as Project 

Footprint plus

Commercial (CCX, NCX)

Residential (DR, R3, R4)

 37 Zoning district names: C2- General Community Commercial District; UCX-TD -Urban Center 

Mixed Use -Tacoma Dome; CIX -Commercial Industrial Mixed Use; M1-Light Industrial; M2 –

Heavy Industrial; DR – Downtown Residential; NCX – Neighborhood Commercial Mixed Use; 

CCX – Community Commercial Mixed Use; R3 – Two family Residential; R4-Multi-family 

Residential. 
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Exhibit 8. (Panels 1-10) Zoning Designations

Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within the municipality of Tacoma.
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Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within the municipality of Tacoma.
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Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within the municipality of Tacoma.
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Land Use Discipline Report Page 47

Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within the municipalities of Tacoma 

and Lakewood.
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Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within the municipality of Lakewood.
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Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within the municipality of Lakewood 

and Pierce County.
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Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within the municipality of Lakewood 

and Pierce County.
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Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within Pierce County.
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Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within the municipality of DuPont 

and Pierce County.
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Note: Depicts existing land uses 

within Pierce County.
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The proposed Tacoma Amtrak Station relocation to the Tacoma Dome 

Station at Freighthouse Square would have extensive transportation and 

land use benefits by the joint use of the train depot, parking facilities and 

pedestrian pathways that would serve the Greyhound Bus, Link Light Rail, 

Sounder Commuter Rail, and Train-to-Mountain excursion train services. 

Implementing this combined use is a goal identified in multiple local and 

regional plans and policies. Attachment A provides a summary of these 

key policies. 

Freighthouse Square and adjoining parcels are located in the Urban Mixed 

Use-Tacoma Dome (UCX-TD) zoning district, which is intended as a 

buffer area between heavy industrial uses and less intensive commercial 

and/or residential uses (see Exhibit 9). The Tacoma Amtrak Station 

relocation component of the Project meets the definition of Passenger 

terminal under the City of Tacoma Zoning Ordinance, which is a 

permitted use within the UCX-TD zoning district.38

The Project consists of a railroad corridor upgrade and increased rail 

operations by high speed train use and does not fall into a typical land use 

category regulated by a local zoning code. In addition, the entire Project

lies within a pre-existing rail corridor established in the late 1800s and has 

been an integral component of local and regional land use planning efforts 

for decades.

 38 The Tacoma Zoning Ordinance Section 13.06.700.P defines a Passenger terminal as: “Public or 

publicly regulated facility for passenger transportation services and operations. This classification 

includes railroad passenger terminals, rapid rail or street railway passenger terminals, bus 

passenger terminals, multi-modal transportation passenger terminals, or any combination of the 

above. Typical activities include ticketing, waiting, boarding, baggage and parcel handling, 

transport, and temporary storage of transit vehicles and equipment. Passenger terminals may 

include park-and-ride facilities, bicycle facilities, and pedestrian linkages at, above, or below 

grade (including sky-bridges and/or tunnels within City rights of way). Accessory uses may include 

indoor and/or outdoor retail sales, food and drink sales or other service operations within or 

adjacent to the terminal.” Also under Section 13.06.700.T, a Transportation/Freight terminal is 

defined as: “A place where transfer of goods and/or people takes place between modes of 

transportation. This classification includes marine terminals, freight terminals and transfer yards, 

container marshalling yards, intermodal rail yards, general rail yards, train and bus stations, and 

ferry terminals.”
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 Exhibit 9. Tacoma Amtrak Station Relocation – Existing Land Use and Zoning
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Is the Project consistent with the policies and regulations 

adopted by the City of Tacoma?

The Tacoma Amtrak Station relocation portion of the Project would be a 

permitted use according to the Tacoma Zoning Code. Any new building, 

parking facility or renovation must comply with applicable building code 

and development standards adopted by the City of Tacoma. 

Similar to an interstate highway or major arterial city street, the proposed 

railroad corridor upgrade and increased operational use does not fall into a 

typical land use category governed by a local zoning code. Rather, the 

siting of these facilities and planning of transportation networks must be 

coordinated with land use patterns in the area along with applicable 

regional and local transportation goals and policies. 

The Project is consistent with adopted plans and would implement policies 

adopted by the City of Tacoma. No policy was found that would deem the 

Project inconsistent with these adopted plans and regulations. Based on 

this review, the Project is consistent with the comprehensive plan and 

zoning regulations adopted by the City of Tacoma. 

What are the planned use and zoning policies and 

regulations adopted by the City of Lakewood that apply to 

the Project?

The study area lies within several comprehensive plan and zoning 

designations adopted by the City of Lakewood which are summarized in 

Exhibit 10.

In this segment, the land use designations that apply to the study area are a 

mix of industrial, open space, commercial, residential and right-of-way 

overlay. Generally, commercial and industrial districts are identified north 

of the Sound Transit Lakewood Station, while both commercial and 

residential districts are located south of the Lakewood Station. The City of 

Lakewood zoning designations that apply for this segment of the study

area are shown in the maps series provided in Exhibit 8 (Panels 4-7). 

Adopted key goals and polices are identified in Attachment A. 
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Exhibit 10. City of Lakewood –Applicable Planned Use and Zoning Designations

Designation Comprehensive Plan39 Zoning40

Project Segment / 

Area Project Footprint Adjacent Project Footprint Adjacent

City of Lakewood Industrial, Open 

Space, Corridor 

Commercial, Over 

(Residential Estate),

Single Family and 

ROW

Same as footprint, 

plus: Industrial;

Commercial);

Residential;

Other(e.g. open space)

Commercial (C1, 

C2, TOC);

Residential (R2, R3,

Other (ROW, 

OSR2)

Same as 

Comprehensive 

Plan

According to the Lakewood Zoning Code, Chapter 18A.400 

Transportation is defined as a public or private service like a train station 

or ferry dock. This section also classifies passenger rail stations as a 

Level 2 Transportation use.

41 Railroad corridors are not specifically 

defined as a “land use,” which is similar to a road or highway corridor. 

Is the Project consistent with the policies and regulations 

adopted by the City of Lakewood?

A portion of the Project and existing railroad corridor near Gravelly Lake 

Drive is located within residential and neighborhood business district

designations. 

Similar to the discussion of the City of Tacoma’s regulations above, the 

Project would upgrade and increase use of an existing railroad corridor 

and right-of-way that predates the City of Lakewood’s incorporation in 

1996. The existing railroad corridor was an integral component of 

subsequent land use planning efforts by Lakewood. The Project does not 

fall into a typical land use category governed by a local zoning code. 

Rather, the siting of these types of transportation facilities and planning of 

transportation networks must be coordinated with land use patterns in the 

area along with applicable regional and local transportation goals and 

policies. 

The City of Lakewood submitted comments to WSDOT in 2010 during 

the NEPA scoping process and stated that the Project would have potential 

 39 Lakewood 2006 40 C1-Commercial; C2-Commercial; TOC – Transit Oriented Commercial; I1 – Industrial; IBP –

Industrial Business Park; R1 and R2 – Residential Estate; R3 and R4-Single family Residential; 

MR – Mixed Residential; OSR2-Open Space Recreation 2; NC2- Neighborhood Commercial; PI –

Public/Institutional

41 Lakewood Municipal Code, Section 18A.400 states: Definition of Transportation: “The 

provision of public or semi public transportation services. Examples include parking garages, 

park-and-ride lots, commercial parking lots, bus shelters, bus stations, bus transfer centers, 

passenger rail stations, ferry docks, and other types of public and quasi-public transportation 

facilities”. Section 18A400 defines Level 2 Transportation Uses as: “Transportation uses serving 

community and regions, such as passenger rail and bus stations, parking facilities, including parkand-rides, and weigh stations.”
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

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effects on land use, development patterns, adjacent commercial and 

industrial buildings and leases, and consistency with adopted plans.

Additional information can be found in Chapter 5, Project Effects, and the 

other discipline reports prepared for the Project.

The Project would not include any other activities within the City of 

Lakewood other than the addition of a section of double track and 

rehabilitation of the existing rail line. No policy was found that would 

deem the Project inconsistent with the plans and regulations adopted by 

the city of Lakewood. Based on this review, the Project is consistent with 

the policies and plans adopted by the City of Lakewood. 

What are the planned use and zoning policies and 

regulations adopted by Pierce County that apply to the 

Project?

The study area lies within several comprehensive plan and zoning 

designations adopted by Pierce County that apply to the unincorporated 

portion of the study area. Exhibit 11 lists the land use and zoning 

designations of the railroad corridor that lie within this segment. The 

Pierce County zoning district locations are shown in Exhibit 8 (Panels 7-

10).

The Pierce County Comprehensive Plan and Zoning designations for the 

unincorporated areas are Rural Military Land, Urban Military Land,

Agricultural Resource Land, Reserve 5, and Rural 10. 

The majority of both the project corridor and I-5 transportation corridor 

are located within the Reserve 5 designation which is described as rural 

areas planned for eventual incorporation into an urban growth area of an 

incorporated nearby city. Agricultural Resource designation is found near 

the southern end of the Project near Rail MP17.

Exhibit 11. Pierce County – Applicable Planned Use and Zoning Designations

Designation Comprehensive Plan Zoning

Project Footprint and Adjacent Project Footprint and Adjacent

Pierce County Agricultural Resource Land Agricultural Resource Land

Pierce County Rural 10 Rural 10

Pierce County/Military Reservation Rural Military Land Rural Military Land

Pierce County Reserve 5 Reserve 5

Pierce County/Military Reservation Urban Military Land Urban Military Land

The Pierce County Zoning Code, 18A.33.190 Military Lands designation 

applies to the military reservations located within Pierce County. This 

designation acknowledges the consistency and coordination required 
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between local governments and the military. The military reservation lies 

within the physical boundaries of cities or counties in Washington State 

but is governed by the US Army.42 Attachment A provides a summary of 

these key policies. 

Is the Project consistent with the policies and regulations 

adopted by Pierce County?

The Project would upgrade and increase use of an existing railroad 

corridor and right-of-way and has been an integral component in local and 

regional land use planning efforts. In addition, the entire Project lies 

within a pre-existing rail corridor established in the late 1800s.

The Project does not fall into a typical land use category governed by a 

local zoning code. Rather, the siting of these types of transportation 

facilities and planning of networks must be coordinated with land use 

patterns in the area along with applicable regional and local transportation 

goals and policies. 

As required by the GMA, countywide planning policies were adopted by 

Pierce County in coordination with the 23 cities and towns that lie within 

its boundaries. Development of this policy document established a 

framework for the county and municipalities to adopt comprehensive 

plans that are consistent with each other and also GMA. The adopted 

policies addressed regional and local goals and objectives for affordable 

housing, resource lands, including agriculture, economic development, 

education, historic, cultural and archeological preservation, open space, 

sensitive areas, urban growth and transportation. Countywide Policy 13 

identifies and promotes travel alternatives to reduce the number of vehicle 

number and miles traveled.43

No policy was found that would deem the Project inconsistent with the 

plans and regulations adopted by Pierce County. Based on this review, the 

Project is consistent with the adopted countywide planning policies and 

also with the comprehensive plan and zoning regulations adopted by 

Pierce County.

 42 Pierce County Code, 18A.33.190 Military Lands, Purpose. To recognize Urban Military Lands 

(UML) as portions of the Federal and State Military Installations within unincorporated Pierce 

County Urban Growth Area and to recognize Rural Military Lands (RML) as portions of these 

Installations within unincorporated Pierce County outside the Urban Growth Area. The autonomy 

associated with the federal ownership in combination with the unique character of the military 

operations and support structures is not typical of civilian land uses. Urban Military Lands and 

Rural Military Lands are designated on the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Designations Map but 

are not represented in the Use Classification Tables because Pierce County does not govern land 

uses within these designations. The classifications are a mechanism to recognize the presence of 

urban and rural areas within the military installations. 43 Pierce County 2009
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Is the Project compatible with the area military reservation 

plans?

The South Sound Military and Communities Partnership consisting of 

local and regional public agencies, including WSDOT, along with military 

representation developed the JBLM Growth Coordination Plan (Growth 

Plan) in 2010. Developing the Growth Plan facilitated and coordinated

various long range regional and local GMA, transportation and military 

master planning efforts in order to plan and prepare for potential effects of 

continued military growth in an effective manner and maintain and 

enhance the quality of life for local communities and the region as a 

whole.

Extensive collaborative planning efforts are ongoing between multiple 

agencies to efficiently plan for future growth of military personnel and 

civilians on and off base while managing transportation safety and 

congestion issues. The final Growth Plan identified a need to direct future 

military related growth to already developed urban centers and infill areas. 

It also identified land use compatibility concerns related to training and 

noise impacts by JBLM installations and training exercises, and adjacent 

sensitive uses, like residential.44 The Growth Plan includes 

recommendations and strategies to improve regional mobility. 

The plan acknowledged the Project planning efforts along with the 

potential for the Project to further affect JBLM, Camp Murray (a 

Washington National Guard/Washington Military Department facility),

the Tillicum neighborhood, and the region due to current accessibility and 

transportation congestion.

45 Additionally, the plan mentions local concern 

regarding the Project’s increase in trains, numerous at-grade crossings and 

their proximity to I-5, safety, and operational delays. These concerns were 

also relayed in correspondence that WSDOT received from JBLM during 

the scoping and planning processes for the Project46. However, the plan 

concludes that the Project would improve on-time reliability, reduce rail 

congestion, and provide enhanced service without affecting freight 

capacity. Further, the plan mentions several planned projects intended to 

improve access to the JBLM. In addition, the Washington National 

Guard’s Camp Murray Gate Relocation project is under construction, 

designed to address congestion and security concerns associated with the 

Berkeley Street Southwest/Union Avenue Southwest intersection in 

Tillicum. Additionally, concerns specific to potential Project land use 

effects to military reservation plans and facilities were not identified47.

 44 US Army 2010 45 US Army 2010a 46 US Army 2010b 47 US Army 2010b
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While the Project would slightly increase the average delay (by 

approximately five seconds or less) at some intersections, a number of 

intersections would experience reduced delays, including reduced delays 

at the two Thorne Lane Southwest interchange ramp intersections in the 

Tillicum neighborhood. Improvements to the traffic signals at the grade 

crossings would minimize effects to the neighborhoods and reduce delays 

at the intersections. Further, proposed safety features at specific at-grade 

crossings would be improved, which would benefit both roadway and rail 

traffic mobility. 

Based on the Growth Plan’s consideration of the Project and other 

constructed or proposed mobility improvement projects, coupled with 

Project-related improvements, the Project itself is compatible with the 

adopted Growth Plan. However, implementation of recommended 

mobility improvement projects listed in the Growth Plan and ongoing 

local community, regional, and military planning efforts are imperative to 

accommodate military and regional growth and address related mobility 

issues. 

What are the planned use and zoning designations, and is 

the Project consistent with the policies and regulations 

adopted by the City of DuPont?

The comprehensive plan and zoning designations for the City of DuPont 

were reviewed but not summarized in detail for this report as the Project is 

located outside of the city limits and urban growth area boundaries of 

DuPont. Only portions of a few (approximately 12) land uses exist in the 

study area with the majority consisting of right-of-way or vacant lands. 

The Project is separated from these land uses by a major arterial and two I5 interchanges.

Review of the adopted plans show a combination of commercial, mixeduse and open space designations in the area of the railroad and I-5 

corridors. The City of DuPont submitted comments to FRA and WSDOT 

in 2010 during the NEPA scoping process and stated that the Project

would have potential effects to both existing and future land use and 

development patterns, and that residential and commercial structures 

existing next to the railroad corridor. Specific concerns were related to the 

potential noise and vibration effects to these uses. Additional information 

can be found in Chapter 5, Project Effects and the Noise and Vibration 

Discipline Report prepared for the Project.
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Is the Project consistent with state or regional 

transportation plans?

In 2006, WSDOT prepared a Long Range Plan for Amtrak Cascades that 

identified the need for development and improvement of intercity 

passenger service, specifically the goals of increasing reliability and safety 

while decreasing travel time. This long range plan updated previous plans 

developed since the early 1990s. The Project was identified in 1992 as a 

way to implement passenger service goals to improve service and 

reliability.

48

In 2008, the Puget Sound Regional Council (Council) adopted Vision 2040

as a common strategy to plan for the region’s population and economic 

growth over the next few decades. The Council includes local, state, 

military and federal agency representatives and oversees the coordination 

in the Puget Sound area of critical transportation functions of moving 

freight, goods and services and provides a framework for long range 

transportation planning and recognizes linkages between transportation 

and land use planning, among others. The adopted strategy includes 

multicounty planning policies and prioritizes transportation projects and 

services that result in efficiencies, increased airport capacities, and 

reduced trips and increased choices – such as transit, ferry, trail, bike 

lanes, and passenger rail, and also improved mobility. Attachment A

provides a summary of these key policies. 

The Project would implement local and regional transportation plans by 

the consolidation of the multi-mode train station at Freighthouse Square

and improve overall passenger rail service by using an alternative route 

and bypass of Point Defiance and Puget Sound shoreline. 

 48 WSDOT 2006
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Chapter 5 – Potential Project Effects

This section provides an overview of the potential effects to existing and 

planned land uses that would occur by the construction and 

implementation of the Project. This includes the physical improvements 

and permanent operational changes that are part of the Project.

What are the Federal Railroad Administration requirements 

for identifying effects?

The FRA’s procedures for considering environmental effects for 

compliance with NEPA regulations requires a determination if the Build 

Alternative will or will not have a foreseeable significant effect on the 

quality of the human environment which includes land use. FRA guidance 

includes quantification and measurement of each effect identified the 

likely significance of the effect, the magnitude of the Build Alternative, 

and whether the effects are beneficial or adverse.

Based on FRA criteria and guidance for NEPA compliance, and review of 

other rail projects and their associated analyses, for the purposes of this 

report, land use effects could result if the Project results in:

1. More than a moderate effect due to incompatibility with adjacent land 

uses and/or inconsistency with land use plans 

2. Displacement of a substantial number of housing units or commercial 

uses 

3. Extensive community disruption or severance, and

4. Effects to prime and unique and farmland of statewide or local 

importance.

What is a project effect?

Effects of a project can be direct, indirect or cumulative. Effects are also 

characterized as permanent or temporary, and/or long term and short term. 

Direct effects are caused by the action and occur at the same time and 

place. Direct land use effects could include full or partial acquisition, 

disturbance during construction or changes in existing access. Indirect 

effects are also caused by the action but are later or father removed in 

distance but are still reasonably foreseeable. Indirect land use effects may 

occur as a result of direct effects due to changes in noise, air quality or 

visual quality. Indirect effects may also include growth or pattern of land 

use changes that may or may not be identified in local or regional plans.
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Cumulative effects are those that result from the incremental effect of the 

action when added to past, present and reasonably foreseeable future 

actions.

What are the land use related effects identified for the 

Project in other discipline reports?

Other discipline reports that were prepared for the Project identified 

potential minor land use related effects that may occur during construction 

(e.g. temporary; short term) as well as implementation and operation of 

the trains (e.g. permanent; direct and indirect). The following includes a

brief summary of potential operational effects to land use. Additional 

discussion can be found in the respective reports.

• Visual: Minor effects to scenery and privacy for occupants of 

adjacent buildings and minor effects visual quality of the new route 

compared to the existing route.

49

• Noise and Vibration: Temporary noise effects to sensitive uses 

(residential) due to construction activities would occur in segments 

as the construction activities progress through the project corridor. 

Moderate noise effects to a total of 12 residences at two locations 

due to at-grade signal devices (wayside horn noise). Vibration 

effects to 16 residences in two locations due to the proximity of the 

railroad and train operation; effects can be minimized by track 

treatment. The residential effects are located within the city limits 

of Lakewood50. 

• It should be noted that the 6 residences that would experience 

Moderate noise effects north of the Lakewood Station at Rail MP 

9.5 (108th Street Southwest), are located within a Residential zone, 

Commercial/Service zone, or Quasi/Public Facilities zone. . The 

other 6 residences that would experience Moderate noise effects

are located within a Residential zone south of the Lakewood 

Station at Rail MP 10.5 (Bridgeport Way Southwest). Five of the 

residences that would experience vibration effects are located 

within a Residential zone just north of the Lakewood Station at 

approximately Rail MP 10.0 (near 112th Street Southwest). The 

other 11 residences that would experience vibration effects are 

located further south of the Lakewood Station at Lake Street 

Southwest (Rail MP 13) within Residential or Commercial zones.

• Transportation: Minor effects due to 5 second increase in delay at 

intersections; but rail capacity and function improved overall by 

other physical and operational upgrades.51

 49 WSDOT 2012e 50 WSDOT 2012f 51 WSDOT 2012g
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• Public Services: Minor effects due to transportation delays listed 

above.

52

• Socioeconomic: A Minor to Moderate impact to community 

cohesion is estimated due to the noise and vibration effects 

identified above. A hard-to-measure but slight increase to the 

regional economy is estimated. No effects to relocation or 

disruption, commercial or residential land values, public access 

and safety, or environmental justice populations have been 

identified.

53

What are the construction effects to land use by the 

Project?

Construction effects to adjacent land uses associated with the Project

would occur. This includes the disruption of traffic to and from local 

businesses, industries, schools and residences, and also the delay of public 

services like police and fire response. It would also include noise effects 

during construction and also the final remediation actions necessary to 

address railroad right-of-way encroachments by adjacent land uses. Once 

constructed, the short term disturbances would cease. 

What are the operational effects to land use by the station 

relocation component of the Project?

Based on the analysis completed for this report, operational effects to 

existing and planned land uses would result from the Tacoma Amtrak 

Station relocation component of the Project by enhancing the accessibility 

to and between the modes of transportation in the downtown Tacoma area. 

The relocation to the Tacoma Dome Station at Freighthouse Square is 

consistent with adopted plans specific to the revitalization and 

redevelopment of the Tacoma Dome neighborhood and enhancing the 

pedestrian connection between rail services, with the goal to create

economic opportunities at local, statewide and multi-state levels by the 

increased reliability and frequency of alternative modes of 

transportation.54

What are the operational effects to land use by the bypass 

route component of the Project?

Implementation of the Project would re-route passenger rail traffic away 

from the Puget Sound shoreline to an existing interior route used by 

freight and commuter trains. For the planned rerouting, the Project would 

upgrade and improve the existing railroad crossings and infrastructure. 

 52 WSDOT 2012h 53 WSDOT 2012 54 Tacoma 2001
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The relocated Amtrak route improvements (the Project) are intended to

result in long term, positive effects for regional travellers by having a 

reliable and more frequent passenger rail system. Freight traffic on the 

Puget Sound route would no longer conflict with Amtrak trains.

Other potential positive effects may be realized in theintegration of local 

and regional transit systems proposed by the Tacoma Amtrak Station 

relocation. Adding inter-city passenger rail to an existing multi-modal 

transit center will provide travelers and commuters with additional travel 

options. Furthermore, the station relocation aspect of the Project may have 

a minor or indirect role in promoting commercial and retail land uses to 

locate near the Tacoma Dome Station. 

What are the potential effects to development trends?

As the project is shifting an existing railroad line to another existing 

railroad corridor and would not result in an increase in highway traffic 

capacity, it is not anticipated to facilitate an increase in growth or 

development in the Project study area. Overall, the continued growth and 

development of the study area would occur as planned in each jurisdiction 

regardless of Project implementation as transportation is only one of the 

many complex factors that affect and influence the location and extent of 

urban and rural growth. 

Conflicts with adjacent land uses

The Project would result in temporary construction effects such as visual

distractions, traffic detours and delays, utility service disruption, noise,

and air quality issues (e.g., dust or construction vehicle exhaust) which can 

interfere with land uses on adjacent properties. As listed in relevant 

discipline reports, minimization measures would be implemented to 

reduce construction effects. Traffic delays would increase during the 

construction period due to construction vehicle traffic, temporary lane 

closures, and occasional weekend road closures, which could affect 

adjacent land uses, such as businesses. A traffic control plan would be 

implemented to keep access to local land uses generally open and 

functional throughout construction. Construction effects would be minor 

and short-term and would not have a long-term effect on adjacent land 

uses. 

Operation of the proposed Project would affect adjacent land uses by the 

high speed and more frequent trains traveling through the communities

and as identified in other relevant discipline reports, the potential effects 

are expected to be minimal to moderate. The potential conflicts with

adjacent land uses include:
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 67

• Visual: minor decreased privacy for occupants of buildings 

adjacent to the rail line due to additional trains.

• Noise and vibration: moderate noise effects at two receptors; 

vibration effects at two sites.

• Transportation: increase in vehicle queue length at some crossing 

locations due to increased road blockages from train crossings;

decrease in vehicle queue length at some crossing locations due to 

signal improvements; improved Level of Service at four 

intersections and decreased at four intersections; long-term 

improvement to safety at several existing at-grade crossings; 

sidewalk improvements at North Thorne Lane Southwest, Berkeley 

Street Southwest, and Barksdale Avenue.

• Socioeconomics: minor effects to community cohesion, public 

access, and safety from increased number of trains; and improve 

connectivity and safety at some locations. 

• Public services: increased train trips resulting in more frequent 

grade closings during pass-bys, which may delay emergency 

service vehicles and extend travel time to medical centers, 

government offices and schools.

• Air Quality: temporary effects due to truck movement and the laydown of materials.

Would the Project acquire or displace existing land uses?

Property acquisition for additional parking west or north of Freighthouse 

Square is anticipated as a part of the Project. The current use of the 

properties proposed for acquisition is parking. Therefore, this acquisition 

would not displace existing land uses. The remainder of the Project would 

not acquire additional property and would be located within existing 

railroad right-of-way owned by Sound Transit, Tacoma Rail, and BNSF. 

There are no plans to expand the right-of-way to construct and implement 

the Project. Therefore, the Project would not displace any additional 

existing land uses or acquire additional property. WSDOT would enter 

into a lease agreement with the owners of Freighthouse Square, to 

accommodate the Amtrak Station at that location.

As discussed previously, resolution to several encroachments onto the 

railroad right-of-way area may affect parking and storage elements of the 

adjacent commercial or industrial uses. The two building encroachments 

require additional review and discussion with the underlying railroad 

owner. These adjacent uses with encroachments may or may not be in 

compliance with applicable zoning standards that generally require 

minimum setbacks for buildings, and either minimum on-premise parking 

area size and spaces to serve the particular use or off-site parking 

agreements with adjoining property owners. The businesses with the 

encroachments that are pending resolution are unlikely to be displaced. 
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 68 Land Use Discipline Report

Displacement and relocation of residences and businesses is not 

anticipated as part of the Project.

Would the Project affect any shorelines or critical areas?

Construction of the Project would pose some risk to surface and 

groundwater from sediment transport and/or pollutant spills. However, the 

Project would minimize or eliminate these risks through the 

implementation of required Best Management Practices. Therefore, no 

construction effects are expected.

No direct effects to water resources are expected from operation of the 

Project. The Project is not expected to result in effects to surface waters 

through changes in volume or water quality. In addition, no changes 

would be made within the boundaries of regulated shorelines or 

floodplains.

No effect to ESA-listed wildlife or plant habitat is anticipated as a result of 

the Project.

No effects to wetlands are anticipated. All four wetlands occur outside the 

Project footprint and would not be subject to excavation or fill. No effects 

to wetlands buffers are expected as construction activities would be 

restricted to the existing railroad fill prism.

Would the Project affect any Section 4(f) or 6(f) resources?

The Project would not acquire or use identified 4(f) or 6(f) properties. 

Inconsistency with adjacent land use plans and zoning regulations

The Project is consistent with adopted land use plans, would implement 

adopted policies reviewed for this report, and would not result in 

displacement of existing land uses. No policy or zoning regulation was 

found that the Project would violate or require regulatory or development 

standard amendments to be adopted in order to implement the Project.

Therefore, the Project would not result in conversion of existing, adjacent 

land uses or affect long-term development potential or patterns of adjacent 

land within the study area. The continued growth, development, and redevelopment in the study area would occur as forecasted and planned for 

in land use and transportation plans.

Displacement of a substantial number of housing units or 

commercial uses

Property acquisition for additional parking west or north of Freighthouse 

Square is anticipated as a part of the Project. The current use of the 
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 69

properties proposed for acquisition is parking. Therefore, this acquisition 

would not displace housing or commercial units. The Project would not 

displace any additional existing land uses or acquire additional property. 

Therefore, no effect to residential or commercial uses would result. 

Extensive community disruption that effects adjacent land uses

Implementation of the Project would affect adjacent and planned land uses 

by the high speed and more frequent trains traveling through the 

communities. However, the estimated daily 12 minute total delay of traffic 

at crossings is not significant. In addition, many of the crossings would be 

upgraded and local connectivity ultimately improved over existing 

conditions.

The topography of the Project area, the existing railroad corridor, and I-5 

currently separates portions of communities, such as the Tillicum 

neighborhood, and also parts of the JBLM. The degree to which the 

Project further isolates the population is minor55 as the existing railroad 

corridor which was established in the late 1800s pre-dated much of the 

subsequent land development, as well as the I-5 corridor established in the 

1960s. Existing development within the study area occurred within the 

constraints imposed by these existing geographic features, land use 

patterns, and transportation systems, and guided future development in the 

implementation of GMA plans. 

What are the indirect and cumulative effects to land use by 

the Bypass Route component of the Project?

Indirect Effects

The Project is located within an existing rail corridor and urbanized area. 

FRA and WSDOT considered whether the Project would facilitate an 

increase in growth or development in the Project area. FRA and WSDOT

determined that the project is not likely to directly or indirectly affect 

growth or land use patterns in the cities of Lakewood, DuPont, or Tacoma. 

As there would be no new Amtrak stops within the corridor, individuals 

utilizing passenger trains would continue to travel through the study area 

to their destinations, in the same way as the current Amtrak inter-city 

passenger train service. Generally, inter-city passenger rail transports 

passengers between well-defined urban centers, rather than other 

commuter rail or mass-transit modes which may transport passengers from 

an urban center to suburban areas. Growth and development in the study 

area would occur as forecasted and planned by each jurisdiction regardless 

of Project implementation as transportation is only one of the many 

 55 WSDOT 2012
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 70 Land Use Discipline Report

complex factors that affect and influence the location and extent of urban 

and rural growth. 

The Project uses an existing right of way rather than creating a new rail 

corridor. FRA and WSDOT did not identify any indirect effects from the 

proposed improvements to the rail line or the crossings. FRA and WSDOT 

also considered other features of the Project (such as utility improvements) 

to assess whether they may influence growth or indirectly facilitate other 

developments. 

Cumulative Effects

Under NEPA, cumulative effects result from the incremental effects of the 

Project when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable 

future actions, regardless of what agency or person undertakes the action. 

Cumulative effects can result from individually minor but collectively 

significant actions taking place over a period of time.

Cumulative effects include past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future 

actions within the study area that, together with the Project, may have a 

cumulative effect on the environment. Past and present actions affecting 

environmental resources are reflected in the existing conditions of the 

Project area. Reasonably foreseeable future actions include those that are 

being implemented or have been implemented recently, including planned 

and funded transportation improvements, and other local and regional 

infrastructure proposals. Development trends, existing development, and 

reasonably foreseeable projects were considered in assessing the potential 

cumulative impacts associated with the Project. Development trends and 

existing development are discussed in Chapter 3 above and reasonably 

foreseeable future actions are listed in Exhibit 12 and Exhibit 13 below. 

FRA and WSDOT also considered the expansion of JBLM which includes 

numerous projects and proposed projects as outlined in the Grow the 

Army FEIS and other documents. FRA and WSDOT carefully considered 

the prior studies related to the JBLM plans, and the comprehensive 

assessment conducted by the South Sound Military and Communities 

Partnership, JBLM Growth Coordination Plan56. JBLM disclosed a 

significant cumulative effect to transportation and social elements from 

the Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) stationing and in the FEIS for the 

Fort Lewis Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment. FEIS / ROD57

and references the Grow the Army FEIS. The Point Defiance Bypass is 

listed as one of the “multiple long-term capital improvements that are 

being planned in the region that will accommodate the increase in 

traffic.”58,59

 56 US Army 2010. 57 US Army Environmental Command 2011. 58 US Army Environmental Command 2011.
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 71

WSDOT and FRA concluded that the Project would not affect land use or 

induce growth and development in the region. While noted under potential 

indirect effects, redevelopment around Freighthouse Square could occur; 

however it would be consistent with land use plans and policies for that 

area. The land is highly urbanized in the Project corridor and the Project 

would not contribute to a cumulative effect on land use because its direct

and indirect effects are negligible relative to the overall development in 

the region.

Exhibit 12: Recent Development Proposals in Project Area 60

Residential Development Jurisdiction

Subdivide 7 acres into 33 Single Family Residential Lots 11604 Interlaaken 

Dr. S.W.

Lakewood

Creekside Village – Construct 14 buildings to create 160 multifamily dwelling 

units, parking, recreation and park facility on 12.8 acre site – N of 

Sequalitchew Ck west of Center Drive

Dupont

Commercial/Nonresidential Development Jurisdiction

Olympic Moving and Storage 7.17 Acre -- 7010 150th S. W. Lakewood

Kenworth Truck Dealership -- 12507 Pacific Hwy. Lakewood

Reddy Ice – Demolish Storage Building and Construct 14,000 sf Ice 

Warehouse and Distribution Facility – 9635 32nd Ave.

Lakewood

Boo Han International Village, 100,000 sf, w3 story multi-tenant Retail Facility 

–9122 South Tacoma Way and S. Steilacoom Blvd.

Lakewood

McDonald’s: Construct 3,900 sf Drive Thru Restaurant 15004 Union Ave 

Tillicum

Lakewood

DuPont Learning Center – 9,275 sf single story building and 42 stall parking 

lot on 1.16 acres site, McNeil Street

Dupont

CalPortland North Parcel Mining Request – mine 142 acre parcel of existing 

mineral resource site – Sec 14, 15, 22 T19N, R1E

Dupont

Port of Tacoma Industrial Area Extend Rail Line and Install New 6-Car Facility 

with Associated Private Road and Stormwater Facilities – 3001 Marshal Ave., 

Port Industrial District

Tacoma

Demolish 104 Residential Units and Construct 140 Residential Units and 

Community Center with Parking – 1800 Block S G St and 2500 Block S G 

(Downtown N of Glass Museum)

Tacoma

Construct 108,00 sf 4-story Parking garage – 1202 Martin Luther King Jr Way 

(Downtown N of Glass Museum)

Tacoma

Port of Tacoma Industrial Area - Construct Container Terminal and 

Associated Widening of Blair Waterway & Puyallup Tribe Owned Site – 3320 

Lincoln Ave., Port Industrial District

Tacoma

 59 The FEIS for the Fort Lewis Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment adequately assesses 

the potential environmental and socioeconomic consequences associated with implementing, at 

Fort Lewis and the Yakima Training Center (YTC)1, the December 2007 (updated in June 2010) 

ROD for the Final Programmatic EIS for Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment (also 

known as “Grow The Army”). The FEIS was issued in July 2010 and the ROD issued in February 

2011. The action consists of several components including stationing, construction, and training. 

The FEIS analyzed the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of stationing approximately 

5,700 additional soldiers, and their families at Fort Lewis. This includes approximately:1,900 

soldiers;1,000 Combat Service Support (CSS) soldiers; and,2,800 soldiers for a medium CAB. 60 Ecology 2012; SEPA Register, documents filed since Jan 2012
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 72 Land Use Discipline Report

Exhibit 12: Recent Development Proposals in Project Area 60

Residential Development Jurisdiction

Install 2 Sugar Storage Tanks (74,879 Gal capacity) at Manufacturing Facility 

– 115 E 27th St. (Near I-5/705 I/C)

Tacoma

Construct New Clover Park Elementary School – 1901 Lakewood Dr. Lakewood

Exhibit 13: Transportation Related Projects – Current and Reasonably 

Foreseeable61

Pedestrian and Transit Improvements Responsible Entity

Dower Elementary Safe Route to School - Construct curb, gutter and 

sidewalk, flashing pedestrian signal, and two marked crosswalks on 

John Dower Rd. 

Lakewood

ADA Service - Provide complementary ADA service for disabled 

patrons in Pierce County

Pierce Transit

Lakewood Station Connection - Construct pedestrian crossing of rail 

road tracks, bus stop facilities, and bus turn around.

Lakewood

Tacoma/Lakewood Commuter Rail Project - Design and construct 

stations, parking, bus/transfer, pedestrian, and bike facilities; grade 

separated crossing at Pacific Ave. and S. 26th St.; complete 

environmental documentation. 

Sound Transit

Tacoma Link Expansion Project - FTA Small Starts alternatives 

analysis for Link service expansion in downtown Tacoma, conceptual 

engineering and NEPA Scoping. 

Sound Transit

Local Roadway Improvements Responsible Entity

Gravelly Lake Drive - Construct curb, gutter and sidewalk, street 

lighting, upgrade signals and ADA ramps on both sides of Gravelly 

Lake Drive between 100th St. and Bridgeport Way.

Lakewood

Madigan Access Improvement - Construct roadway, bridge, ramp and 

signal modifications to improve safety from Berkeley St. to Union Ave 

S. W. 

Lakewood

Bridgeport Way – Steilacoom Blvd. to 83rd Street S.W. - Widen to 

provide continuous two-way left-turn lane, street lighting, bicycle 

facilities, storm drainage and landscaping. Signalize 86th Street 

intersection. 

Lakewood

Steilacoom Blvd. – Farwest Dr. to 87th Ave. S. W. - Upgrade traffic 

signal and improve intersection lighting. Upgrade cross-walk and 

trim vegetation to improve sight distance. 

Lakewood

Lakewood Traffic Signal Upgrades Phase 3 – Fiber InterconnectProvide fiber cable interconnect to upgrade signals for ITS.Lakewood

Regional Roadway Improvements Responsible Entity

I-5 DuPont to Lakewood Corridor Planning - Joint Base LewisMcChord and cities of Lakewood and DuPont in coordination are 

submitting grants for the Interchange Justification Report and NEPA. 

$1,001,000 (including $630,000 in federal funds, balance in state/local 

funds)

WSDOT

I-5 SR 510 to SR 512 Mobility Improvements - Construct ITS, strategic 

intersection improvements, hard shoulder running to reduce 

congestion in the vicinity of JBLM. 

WSDOT

I-5 Fort Lewis Congestion Fiber Optics - Extend fiber optic cable from 

Olympia to Thorne Lane to enable ITS project intertie.

WSDOT

 61 WSDOT 2012j, Puget Sound Regional Council 2011, and WSDOT 2012k.
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 73

Exhibit 13: Transportation Related Projects – Current and Reasonably 

Foreseeable61

Pedestrian and Transit Improvements Responsible Entity

I-5 and I-705 and Railroad Crossing SB Seismic Retrofit- Retrofit 

southbound bridge to meet current earthquake standards.

WSDOT

I-5 and I-705 and Railroad Crossing NB Seismic Retrofit - Retrofit 

northbound bridge to meet current earthquake standards.

WSDOT

I-5 M St. to Portland Ave. Northbound Widening and Bridges - Add NB 

and SB HOV lanes to I-5 from M Street to Portland Ave. to I-5. 

Demolish and reconstruct Pacific Ave., McKinley Ave. and L Street 

overcrossings.

WSDOT

I-5 M St. Bridge Seismic Retrofit - Retrofit bridge to meet current 

earthquake standards.

WSDOT

I-5 Port of Tacoma Rd. to King Co. Line HOV Lanes - Construct HOV 

lanes from MP 136.61 to MP 139.50.

WSDOT

I-5 Portland Ave. to Port of Tacoma Rd Northbound HOV - Construct 

NB HOV lanes, new northbound bridges across the Puyallup River, 

begins work to reconstruct I-5/SR 167 interchange and replaces I5/Portland interchange.

WSDOT

I-5 Portland Ave. to Port of Tacoma Rd. Southbound HOV - Construct 

SB HOV lanes, new southbound bridges across the Puyallup River, 

and completes work on the I-5/SR 167 interchange.

WSDOT

I-5 SR 16 Interchange: Rebuild Interchange- Replaces the Nalley 

Valley bridge, reconstructs ramps and structures. Prepares I-5 and 

SR 16 for HOV lanes.

WSDOT

I-5 SR 16 Eastbound Nalley Valley HOV- Reconstruct eastbound 

Nalley Valley interchange, ramps, and structures. Prepares for HOV 

lanes on I-5 and SR 16.

WSDOT

I-5 SR 16 Interchange: South to North Ramp Seismic Retrofit - Retrofit 

south to north ramp bridge to meet current earthquake standards.

WSDOT

I-5 SR 510 to SR 512 Mobility Improvements - Construct ITS, strategic 

intersection improvements and hard shoulder running to maximize 

system efficiency.

WSDOT

I-5 Vicinity of Joint Base Lewis McChord: Install Ramp Meters - Install 

ramp meters, cameras, detection loops, stop bars and illumination, 

interconnect cameras to Tacoma TSMC. 

WSDOT

I-5 Vicinity Center Drive - Realign Center Drive and change access 

control to improve JBLM egress

WSDOT 

SR 162 Puyallup River Bd. Replacement - Construct new bridge to 

replace existing structurally deficient bridge...

WSDOT

SR 512 108th St. E. to SR 167 Install Cable Barrier - Upgrade existing 

3-cable median barrier to 4-cable median barrier.

WSDOT

Regional Rail Improvements Responsible Entity

Vancouver - Rail Yard Bypass Track - Construct new bypass tracks 

in rail yard to allow passenger trains to bypass congestion caused by 

freight trains and new vehicle/pedestrian/bicycle bridge overcrossing.

FRA / WSDOT

Kelso Martins Bluff – Toteff Siding Extension - Extend existing siding 

one and construct overcrossing at Toteff Road.

FRA / WSDOT

Kelso Martins Bluff – New Siding - Construct new and upgrade 

existing siding track to allow freight trains to move on and off of main 

line at higher speeds.

FRA / WSDOT

Kelso Martins Bluff – Kelso to Longview Junction - Construct new 

track segment and upgrade existing track to allow freight and 

passenger trains to pass each other and reduce congestion.

FRA / WSDOT
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 74 Land Use Discipline Report

Exhibit 13: Transportation Related Projects – Current and Reasonably 

Foreseeable61

Pedestrian and Transit Improvements Responsible Entity

Seattle – King Street Track Upgrade - Reconfigure main line tracks 

accessing King Street Station to improve passenger train access and 

increase service for Amtrak, Sound Transit, and BNSF. 

FRA / WSDOT

Everett – Storage Track - Construct two new departure/receiving 

tracks parallel to existing delta Yard tracks to eliminate 

passenger/freight conflicts.

FRA / WSDOT

Corridor Reliability Upgrades (South) -Clean ditches and grading to 

improve drainage, cleaning and replacing ballast, replace ties and 

resurface rail as needed to improve track reliability and improve 

travel time.

FRA / WSDOT

Advanced Wayside Signal System -Upgrade advanced signal systems 

components at all control points, sidings and turnouts between the 

US-Canada border and Vancouver, WA.

FRA / WSDOT
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 75

Chapter 6 – Recommended 

Minimization Measures

No direct, moderate or significant adverse effects to land use were 

identified in Chapter 5 of this report; therefore no land use-specific 

minimization recommendations are discussed in this Chapter. 

To protect against unanticipated impacts and to further reduce the 

incidence of minor effects, the following minimization measures and best 

management practices may be implemented: 

Air Quality

• Spray water and operate water trucks on haul roads.

• Cover and/or wet materials onsite and during transport, or provide 

adequate freeboard.

• Provide wheel washers to remove particulate matter that vehicles 

would otherwise carry offsite.

• Remove mud and windblown dust deposited on paved roadways.

• Maintain construction equipment with required pollution-control 

devices.

Noise and Vibration

• Ensure all construction activities comply with local noise 

regulations, including no nighttime work unless a variance is 

obtained.

• Set construction hours, particularly near residences.

• Proposed schedules for the Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight 

indicate that trains will run after 7 a.m. and until 10 p.m., 

eliminating noise effects during common sleeping hours.

• Use natural and artificial barriers to shield against construction 

noise (e.g. baffles, existing topography, or stockpiles of 

construction materials).

• Strategically place stationary equipment to reduce effects to noisesensitive receivers.

• Equip each internal combustion engine with a manufacturerrecommended muffler.

• Use vibratory or hydraulic insertions for pile driving.

• Implement coordination framework during design and construction 

to ensure freight delivery meets customer needs during 

construction.
September 2012 Point Defiance Bypass Project

Page 76 Land Use Discipline Report

Transportation

• Develop a traffic control plan during construction that includes 

(but is not limited to) the following minimization measures:

 At least one lane will be kept open at crossings except for a 

short period of time when the new track is being installed 

across the roadway. 

 Traffic control personnel and/or traffic control signs will be 

provided at locations where construction activities are 

occurring. 

 Detour routes will be provided when roads are closed due to 

track construction. 

 A uniformed police officer will manage traffic movements 

when traffic signals are temporarily turned off.

 WSDOT and FRA will coordinate the development of the 

traffic control plans with local jurisdictions.

 Local agencies, the public, school districts, emergency 

service providers, and transit agencies will be informed of the 

changes to travel in advance through the media and the 

Project website.

 Pedestrian and bicycle circulation will be maintained as 

much as possible during construction.

Public Services and Utilities

• Coordinate and communicate with public service providers to 

identify ways to minimize delays.

• Coordinate with utility owners to determine conflicts and 

determine a suitable resolution to avoid or minimize disruption. 

• Post construction schedules near affected crossings and provide the 

information to residents and businesses in the area. 

• Initiate the Operation Lifesaver program on railroad safety for 

community members.

Continued transportation and land use planning coordination with local 

jurisdictions, neighboring communities, and military and regional 

planning efforts is recommended to further enhance the level of services 

and quality of life, and overall, plan for continued economic and 

population growth in the Puget Sound.
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page 77

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WSDOT 2012h. Point Defiance Bypass Project, Public Services and Utilities 

Discipline Report. July 2012.

WSDOT 2012i. Point Defiance Bypass Project, Air Quality Discipline Report. 

October 2011.

WSDOT 2012j. Approved 2012 – 2015 State Transportation Improvement 

Program (STIP); January 2012.

WSDOT 2012k . WSDOT High Speed Rail Program website, accessed August 

2012 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Rail/Projects.htm).

WSDOT GIS Workbench 2011.
Point Defiance Bypass Project September 2012

Land Use Discipline Report Page A-1

Attachment A

Key Land Use and Related Transportation Goals and Policies

Jurisdiction Goal or Policy No. Description

Regional

Puget Sound 

Regional Council, 

Vision 2040

MPP-T-19 Coordinate regional planning with railroad capacity 

expansion plans and support capacity expansion that is 

compatible with state, regional, and local plans.

Pierce Countywide 

Planning Policies

13 The County, and each municipality in the County, shall 

provide the following facilities to encourage alternatives 

to automobile travel and/or to reduce the number of 

vehicle miles traveled (modal split, trip generation and 

trip length):

13.1 structural alternatives (public transit [fixed 

guideway/rail systems, buses, paratransit services]; 

construction of new high-occupant vehicle lanes; 

limitations on highway/roadway construction; 

carpool/vanpool facilities; non-recreational 

bicycle/pedestrian facilities);

13.2 non-structural/regulatory alternatives (growth 

management [concurrency; urban growth areas]; 

road/congestion pricing; auto-restricted zones; parking 

management; site design; ridesharing incentives).

Pierce County

Comprehensive 

Plan

19A.30.210 Joint 

Land Use Study.

The Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) is a collaborative 

planning effort involving the military installations of Fort 

Lewis, McChord AFB and Camp Murray (Washington 

National Guard) and ten local governments surrounding 

these military installations. Its broad goal is to 

encourage each jurisdiction to practice compatible 

development and redevelopment in each affected 

jurisdiction that balances sustaining the local military 

missions with long-term community land use needs. It is 

the responsibility of the participating jurisdictions to 

ensure that JLUS recommendations are taken into 

account when developing land use plans and other 

related planning documents.

Comprehensive 

Plan

19A.80.060 

Transit 

H.) Transit Access. Pierce County encourages transit 

access by:

1. Improving bicycle and pedestrian access to proposed 

transit centers, rail stations and bus stops.

Comprehensive 

Plan

19A.80.090 Other 

Motorized 

Transportation

F. ) Rail Service Preservation and Enhancement. 

Encourage local communities, the Washington State 

Department of Transportation, railroads, labor groups 

and shippers to work together to:

1. Improve passenger and freight rail service;

2. Identify and preserve rail lines which currently provide 

transportation and economic benefits to Pierce County;

3. Coordinate and implement passenger and freight rail 

service preservation projects consistent with a regional 

transportation program; and

4. Consider localized rail service as a means of public 

transportation
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Page A-2 Land Use Discipline Report

Jurisdiction Goal or Policy No. Description

Pierce County

Comprehensive 

Plan

19A.80.090 Other 

Motorized 

Transportation

G. Preserving Rail Rights-Of-Way. Strongly encourage 

the preservation of rail rights-of-way for future rail or 

other transportation purposes. Actions to preserve rail 

rights-of-way include:

1. Identification of abandoned or to be abandoned rail 

lines and rights-of-way in conjunction with the state, 

local communities, railroads, labor groups, and 

shippers;

2. Assessment of potential uses of rights-of-way for 

different forms of motorized and nonmotorized travel in 

order to preserve and implement their highest and best 

transportation use;

3. Allocation of funds by the state for the purpose of 

identified rail lines and rights-of-way; and

4. Amendment of RCW (Revised Code of Washington) 

Chapter 47.76 by the state to implement the December 

1988, Washington State Rail Development Commission 

recommendations, which would modify "rail banking" 

practices, the acquisition of abandoned corridors, the

interim and future use of rights-of-way, and funding 

procedures.

City of Tacoma

Tacoma Dome Plan Immediate 

Strategy. 2001 T29

Encourage Amtrak to make necessary track 

improvements to co-locate Amtrak station with Sound 

Transit commuter rail station.

Tacoma Dome Plan Long-Term 

Development 

Concepts (2005-

2015) #3

Relocation of Amtrak intercity passenger rail service 

from the BN line to the Chehalis Western rail line – colocating with commuter rail line.

Tacoma Dome Plan Land Use and 

Development 

Strategy # 38

If commuter rail extends to Lakewood, consider 

relocating Amtrak Station to Freighthouse Square to 

share facilities with commuter rail.

Comprehensive

Plan

Implementation 

Strategy, 

Action 3.4

Support a frequent and convenient bus, rail, and 

streetcar network to magnify the impact of planning for 

movement as pedestrians and

Bicyclists.

City of Lakewood

Comprehensive 

Plan

Policy LU-17.3 Promote Lakewood Station District for medical and other 

businesses serving the regional market.

Policy LU-25.4 Provide incentives for redevelopment of the Lakewood 

Station area to capitalize on growth and visibility 

associated with the commuter rail station.

Policy LU-27.4 Improve pedestrian and vehicular connections across 

the railroad tracks, Pacific Highway Southwest, and I-5.

Goal LU-68 In areas, consider the continuation of nonconforming 

uses that support other specified goals such as 

economic development, housing, etc., on a flexible 

basis.

Policy LU-30.3 Protect prime industrial sites from encroachment by 

incompatible uses such as housing and unrelated retail 

activity.

2.3.2 SingleFamilyThe Single-Family designation provides for single-family 

homes in support of established residential 

neighborhoods. This designation is the primary 

residential designation in the city.
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Land Use Discipline Report Page A-3

Jurisdiction Goal or Policy No. Description

2.3.7 Corridor 

Commercial

The commercial corridors along I-5, South Tacoma Way, 

Pacific Highway Southwest, and Union Avenue are 

examples of Lakewood’s dominant pattern of strip 

commercial development. The geographic relationship of 

the corridors to major road networks and the Lakewood 

Station promotes employment, services, retail, and 

business/light industrial uses linked to access to major 

transportation networks. While the continuous linear 

alignment is a unifying element, each corridor presents 

varying challenges and opportunities.

City of Lakewood

2.3.14 Open 

Space and 

Recreation

The Open Space and Recreation designation provides 

for public open spaces and recreational uses such as 

state and municipal parks, preserves, and trails, as well 

as privately owned facilities such as golf courses, 

Lakewood Gardens, and cemeteries. Local and regional 

recreation opportunities are included within this 

designation. Of special note is the Chambers Creek 

Properties Master Site Plan, a joint effort of Pierce 

County and the cities of Lakewood and University Place 

to develop the Chambers Creek canyon for limited, 

passive recreation uses. The designation promotes the 

conservation of public and private sensitive or critical 

natural resource areas and areas of local interest as 

open space.

2.3.10 Industrial Industrial lands are the working area of Lakewood, 

integrated into the community economically and 

environmentally while maximizing a regional economic 

presence based on Lakewood’s geographic position. 

Properties with an Industrial land-use designation are 

expected to provide family wage jobs to residents and 

tax revenues to the City. The Industrial designation 

provides for regional research, manufacturing, 

warehousing, concentrated business/employment parks, 

and other major regional employment uses. Industrial 

lands depend on excellent transportation and utility 

infrastructure and freedom from encroachment by 

incompatible land uses.

2.3.1 Residential 

Estate

The Residential Estate designation provides for large 

single-family lots in specific areas where a historic 

pattern of large residential lots and extensive tree 

coverage exists. Although retaining these larger sized 

properties reduces the amount of developable land in 

the face of growth, it preserves the historic identity these 

“residential estates” contribute to the community by 

providing a range of housing options, preserving 

significant tree stands, and instilling visual open space 

into the urban environment. Most importantly, the 

Residential Estate designation is used to lower densities 

around the lakes and creek corridors in order to prevent 

additional effects from development upon the lake and 

creek habitat and Lakewood Water District wellheads.

Maintenance of these lower land-use densities in certain 

areas west of the lakes also helps maintain reduced 

traffic volumes and reduce additional traffic safety 

conflicts in the east-west arterial corridors. These roads 

are among the most stressed transportation routes in 

the city, with expansion opportunities highly constrained 

due to the lakes.

3.12 

Nonconformities

Lakewood is a largely built-out urban area. The historic 

pattern of land use has occurred in a haphazard manner 

in many portions of the community. As the City 

continues to implement its plan for the future, some 
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Page A-4 Land Use Discipline Report

Jurisdiction Goal or Policy No. Description

existing development will no longer conform to this plan 

and regulations. Existing development may fail to 

conform in terms of the way the land is being used, 

compared to uses allowed under the area's zoning 

("nonconforming uses"), or it may fail to conform to 

specific development standards such as setbacks, 

height, bulk, signage, or other regulatory aspects ("other 

nonconformities"). This section outlines the City’s intent 

in addressing nonconformities of both types.

3.6 Military Lands

Goal LU-35

Recognize that military installations, where federal or 

state, are unique in character with operations and 

support structures not typical of civilian land uses.

Military Lands

LU 35.02

The Official Federal Military Installation Master Plans 

(established in accordance with applicable federal 

regulations and Joint Planning Agreements) addressing 

land use, infrastructure and services for the portions of 

the military installations within the city are adopted by 

reference to this plan as autonomous subarea plans.